Healing Hearts
by StrongerThanILook0616
Summary: She's been on her own since she was 11. She's made it this far. Since he was old enough she has been a doctor at the Anchorage hospital in Alaska. Now she will have to put her medical skills to the test when a Jaeger and it's pilot are found of the shore of Anchorage. Will she be able to heal the wounds Raleigh Becket suffered or will his let the hole in his heart consume him?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Medical Attention

"Ana! Ana!" She heard from the front porch. The boy's voice was panicked, and she leapt up from her spot on the couch in front of the fireplace. Outside the ground was covered in snow and the boy screaming at her stood out against the blanket of white in his black gear. He was waving his arms around frantically in an attempt to catch her attention. She opened the window and yelled out to him.

"What is it Billy?" She shivered as the cool air was pulled into the house.

"There is a man on the beach! He's injured really badly" The boy replied. She didn't need more of an explanation to get her into action. She rushed back into the house, not even bothering to close the window, to change into warmer clothes. Once she was in her room, she scrambled around to pull on a black pair of jeans, a baggy purple sweater with a thick collar that covered her neck, and a white pair of timberland lace-up boots. She bolted down the stairs, and as she left the house, she threw her fur-lined jacket on and snatched the keys from the wall next to the door.

"Let's go!" She exclaimed, jumping into the cab of the truck. She started the engine and fast as she could safely drive, she followed Billy's instructions. It didn't take long to get to the beach, and she didn't need to ask Billy where to go. Down the beach was a huge metal skeleton, which she recognized as the remnants of a Jaeger. The machine was smoking and a little way from it, she could see George sitting beside a man in white armor. She was quick to pull over as close as she could.

"Good god." She gasped at the sight before her and the blood-stained snow below the pilot. She fell to her knees next to him and searched for a pulse. It was there, but it was rather weak. "We need to get him back to the house. Help me get him into the back of the truck." She grabbed him under his arms and lifted him with all her strength. Between the two of them, there managed to get him into the truck bed. She climbed in with him and used her lap to cushion his head. Once she was situations, she slapped the back of the truck cab, signaling to go. She focused on his face. He had a small cut above his right eyebrow that would undoubtedly scar. She looked over the rest of his body, and she could see that he was bleeding on his right side and the most obvious injury was that his armor on the left side was torn to shreds with lacerations underneath. They went over a bump, and his shattered helmet smacked her hip. She yelped in pain and glared down at the metal that had assaulted her. As carefully as she could, she removed the helmet, earning a pained groan from the man. His eyes fluttered momentarily, and she caught a glimpse of blue eyes.

"Yancy." He muttered in pain.

"It's okay. You're safe." She told him, weaving her hands into his hair, hoping to comfort him.

"My brother. Yancy. No. Yancy." He sobbed, turning his head into her stomach as if to hide away from the pain.

"She…sshh…you're okay. I'm going to take care of you." She whispered to him as her eyes filled with tears. His eyes fluttered closed once again as he fell back into unconsciousness. "George, hurry u!" She yelled, wiping the tears from her eyes. She didn't have to ask him what had happened to know. When she had pulled up near the Jaeger, she could see that the entire right side of the skeleton was missing. His pilot, his brother had been killed in action, and he was lucky to be alive. Her gaze found the sky as she found it almost impossible to keep the tears at bay. She knew what it was like to lose a brother, her family. They arrived back at the house, and they rushed to get him into the house where she swiped everything off of the kitchen table and sent Billy to his room. George got her kit as she got to work pulling the white armor off his body. She was relieved to find he was wearing an under-suit as she removed the chest plate. His under-suit was ripped, and she could see that the mechanics had fried his left arm.

"Is he going to make it, Ana?" George gushed as he came rushing back into the room.

"He'll be fine. I am more concerned about his mental state." She replied, accepting the box of medical supplies from him. She knew from past research that when two pilots are controlling the Jaegers they are connected mentally. From the damage done to the Jaeger, she knew that the connection had been broken in the middle of the battle. What that meant for his mind, she didn't know, she could only guess the kind of trauma it had caused.

"Do you need anything from me?" he asked, glancing at the pilot unconscious on the table.

"No. Go make sure Billy doesn't leave his room." She told him. He nodded and rushed out of the room. She chuckled to herself, knowing that he didn't do well with medical things. In no time, she had the lower armor off of him, and she could see that his ankle was swollen and twisted. A deep blush rushed to her cheeks as she removed his under-suit leaving him only in his briefs. His chest was rather muscular, and she wouldn't admit it out loud she liked what she saw.

Shaking off her daze, she got to work. She started with wiping away the blood from his wounds. Her first task was seeing to the cut above his eyebrow. . She taped a bandage over it and then wrapped gauze around his forehead. Next she went to his right side where a piece of shrapnel had punctured his armor and cut into his side. . She was careful in removing it before she stitched it up. She waited to wrap it up until she had finished with stitching up his arms as well. Every time he would wince or grown in pain, she would pause, waiting for him to settle before she continued to weave the thread through hi skin. After finished the stitches she used what strength, she had left to lift him up enough to wrap more gauze around his torso and his arm. She laid him back down and leaned over, resting her head on the table next to his head. She took a few moments to catch her breath. Medical work had always worn her out and after a long day at the hospital, this had used the last of her energy. She looked down at her hands, and her breath hitched in her throat. Her hands were covered in blood, and they were shaking. All of a sudden, she had a flashback to the second wave of Kaiju attacks when her family was wiped out.

 _FLASHBACK START_

 _An eleven-year old Analia is seen kneeling beside a young male, her hands putting pressure on a chest wound._

 _"Chris…No Chris...don't go. Don't leave me alone." She sobbed._

 _"It's okay Ana. You're a survivor. You'll make it through this. I know you will." The boy choked out. "I love you baby sister." His breath left him, and the light in his eyes died. From where her hands were putting pressure on his wound, she could feel that his heart had stopped beating. She let out an agonizing scream and let her head fall onto her fallen brothers' chest._

 _"I love you big brother. Please…come back. Don't leave me alone like this." She sobbed._

 _FLASHBACK END_

She came out of her flashback and took a shaky breath. She pulled a chair up the table and laid her head back down onto the table, so she could close her eyes. She only prayed that she wouldn't dream.

The sun woke him up the next morning as it shone through the window. His body ached all over, and the pain in his torso brought his back to reality. He slowly opened his eyes and observed where he was. The walks were a putrid yellow color that made him cringe. He glanced around to see he was in a kitchen, probably on the table. The next thing he noticed was a head of dark hair. From what he could see she had full lips and thick eyelashes. She was asleep. _'She must have passed out after cleaning me up.'_ He thought to himself, seeing that her hands and clothes were covered blood. He shifted his body slightly and sucked in a quick breath of air in pain. The sudden noise was enough to send her sitting up with a startled gasp. She looked around dazed momentarily until she caught sight of him laying there with his eyes open.

"You're awake!" She exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. He watched her run into the kitchen to grab painkillers and a glass of water. She was back in a flash, helping him sit up, so he could swallow the pills. "Do you know your name?" He gave her a weird look before realizing that she was obviously a nurse.

"Raleigh. Raleigh Becket." He told her, frowning.

"Well, Mr. Becket, you took one hell of a fall. I'm not worried about your injuries; they will heal in no time. However, I am concerned about your mental state." She told him. His head snapped up to look at her confused. "It's not hard to guess what happened, when one is patching up a single Jaeger pilot. I saw the damage done to the Jaeger as well; the entire right hemisphere was missing." She clarified. He nodded and didn't say anything in return. "Just know that if you wish to talk about any of it, you aren't alone."

"I never got your name." He gave her an appreciative smile.

"Where are my manners? Analia, my name is Analia Crux. You can call me Ana." She told him, venturing over to the kitchen sink to wash the blood off of her hands.

"Thank you, for saving my life." He said, attempting to get up off the table.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your ankle is fractured." She told him with a pointed look. He quit moving "You're welcome. You should remain here until you are fully healed. George won't mind."

"I don't have anywhere else to go." He told her sadly.

"Well then Raleigh Becket, welcome to your new home." There was something about the say she said his name that made him suddenly forget about the gaping hole in his chest and the memory that kept replaying in his mind time and again. He couldn't help but give her an attempt at a grateful smile.


	2. Chapter 2

AN:So here is the second chapter. I know its short but I'e been applying to colleges and I've been super busy but I wanted to know what you guys thought! Please leave a review to let me know what you think and what I could do better or change nothing at all. I plan to write like 10-15ish chapters before the actual movie-verse part. Hope you guys like this chapter.

Chapter 2 - Getting Settled

''There isn't another bedroom in the house, so you and I will have to share a room, my room.'' she told Raleigh as she helped him up the stairs to her room.

She opened the door and looked around to see that it had been rearranged. Now, there was a second bed shaved into the right corner with hers in the left and her desk between them under the window. The bed was made with fresh linens, and a small pile of clothes were neatly folded at the end of the bed. She had never seen the clothes before, but after a moment or two of thought she realized they had belonged to George's oldest son who had perished in the first wave.

''It isn't much but its home. We'll have to go into town to get you new clothes, but these will work for now I hope.'' She told him as she guided him over to the bed, so he could sit.

Though she did most of the work in getting him up the stairs the small exertion of energy had tired him out greatly. He held her his left arm close to his chest to protect it and he was still pale from the blood loss.

''Thank you for allowing me to stay here,'' Raleigh said. She took a seat on her bed, crossing her legs.

''Of course,'' she replied.

''Why didn't you take me to the hospital?'' he inquired. He watched her carefully, wanting to know if she would be honest with him. He didn't have clue who this woman was, and he still had yet to determine if she was trustworthy.

''My cabin was closer than the hospital. You needed immediate treatment, and I wasn't sure you would get it. I knew I could patch you up in no time with my nursing skills, so I just brought you

here.'' she looked at him dead in the eyes as she spoke. She could see the hesitation to trust her in his eyes.

''Make sense,'' he needed his head. He shivered suddenly, and it made her realize he was still in only his briefs.

'' I should probably let you get dressed.'' she stood from her bed and made her way to the door.

''I may need help. Considering I can't exactly stand on my own just yet,'' Raleigh said, stopping her in her tracks. She took a deep breath and turned back around, trying to control her blush. She walked back over to him, grabbed the jeans off the bed and with careful fingers she undid the button at the top and pulled the zipper down. She knelt next to the bed and placed the waist line in front of his feet. With his good arm, he placed a hand on her shoulder to balance himself as he carefully placed each foot into the jeans. Once both feet were in the jeans, she helped him stand so she could pull them up. This wasn't the first time she had to help dress a patient, but it was the first time it had happened in her own home. At the hospital, the environment was professional but in her own home, the action felt very intimate.

Once she had the jeans up all the way, she was quick to button and zip them. The next part was getting the shirt on. The long-sleeved thermal shirt would keep him warm enough in the cold Alaskan air. The only issue she had with getting the shirt on was with the stitches. The material of the shirt would catch on the stitches, but she did what she could to keep from hurting him. The last step was finding him a sweater big enough to keep him warm. The only thing she could come up with was her father's sweater. It was the last thing she had of his.

''I'm not sure that's…'' he began to protest, but she interrupted.

''This was my fathers before he died during the second wave. You may barrow it until I go out and buy you some clothes.'' she told him as she unfolded it so he could see its' size.

''I can't,'' he protested again, but when she gave him a particularly stern look, he closed his mouth and allowed her to help him into the sweater. The minute he had his head through the hole in the sweatshirt he saw a fond smile on her face, but only momentarily before it was replaced with a frown. She turned away and headed for the door.

''Are you hungry?'' she asked him.

''A little,'' he responded.

''Good cause I think the boys just came back from the town.

I'll bring some up for you.'' she told him, before quickly leaving the room. Once the door was closed, she rested her head up against it.

''Get a grip woman.'' she chastised herself.

Downstairs, Billy and George brought back bread eggs, cheese and a couple of cans of tomato soup. This shocked her. It had been a while since she had seen cheese, considering they were on rations.

''George you are a miracle worker.'' she gushed picking up the bread and the cheese.

''I try,'' the man replied. ''How's our guest?''

"He is awake and in my room. He seems fine for now, but I know he's going to fall into a phase of depression soon.'' She informed the older man.

''And it'll be your job to make sure he stays on the bright side,'' George asked.

''Exactly.''

''Just remember to take care of yourself to Analia.'' George said, giving her a pointed look.

''I'll do my best.'' she told him. She got to work with cocking. She couldn't remember the last time she had cocked a good meal, and her intention was to make grilled cheese and tomato soup. By the time she finished, the house smelled amazing and her stomach was growling terribly. She dished the sandwiches on a plate and the soup in coffee mugs.

''I'm going to take this up to him.''

Up in her room, Raleigh had fallen asleep on his back, his good arm chopped over his face. She felt bad, having to wake him, but he needed fluids and food. As soon as her hand touched his shoulder, he jerked awake.

''Sorry.'' she said giving him an apologetic look. ''You need to eat before you sleep.'' he nodded, and she set the tray down to help him sit up straight enough to eat. They went an hour without talking. He slowly picked away at his food while she sat on her bed, reading a rather fat book.

''What are you reading?'' Raleigh asked her suddenly. Startled by his sudden sound, she stared at him blankly for a moment before turning her book over.

''The Three Musketeers.'' she told him.

''I've never read it before,'' he told her setting himself back down.

''Would you like me to read it to you?'' she asked knowing very well he would fall asleep.

''Sure.'' he replied.

''Alright, I shall start from the Author's Preface.'' She told him flipping to the front of the book. With a dramatic clearing of her throat, she began to read. ''A short time ago, while making researches in the Royal Library for my history of Louis XIV,…'' she read well into the night and when she finally remembered that Raleigh had been ready to sleep, it was well past 11p.m. However, she couldn't complain. She had always loved reading out loud. She sighed and set the book down on her desk. She stripped off her clothes and into a pair of flannel PJs. As she laid there, she thought to herself. If the Kaiju's hadn't attacked none of the messed up stuff would have happened to her but then again, she knew she wouldn't be where she was without their appearance. Sometimes she couldn't decide if it was a good or bad thing.


	3. Chapter 3

I am on a role right now! I know that I haven't posted anything for my Narnia and I just want to let those who are fans that it is on Hiatus at the moment. I haven't a clue what to do with it.

Anyway I hope you guys like Chapter 3!

Chapter 3 - Nightmares

March 4th 2020 - 12:00am

The first time Analia had a nightmare was the day after her family had been killed in the third Kaiju attack. She remembered closing her eyes and seeing their dead bodies on the ground at her feet. She remembered them screaming at her to run for her life and get to safety. But she hadn't, she had just stood there too scared to move and as a result her brother had died saving her. For years she had dealt with the nightmares where her brother would ask her why she didn't run. Every night until recently she would have nightmares that would keep her up late at night. However, over the years Analia had learned how to deal with her nightmares. She knew how to suppress them once she was awake, how to let them go, and over time they had stopped. It was if the nightmares had been a bully, the less she reacted to them and thought about them the further away they would go. She had figured out the she had to stop fueling the thoughts that created the nightmares.

So when she woke up at midnight to Raleigh's shouting she wasn't surprised. She had been waiting for this to happen. The first shout sent her sitting straight up in bed disoriented and it took her several moments to remember where she was. She rubbed her eyes to rid her vision of its sleepy haze before looking over to Raleigh. He was drenched in sweat, moaning and calling out for his brother. She stood up from the bed, crouched beside the bed and took his hand in hers. For a moment she just watched him, not knowing exactly what to do. There was several things she could do; wake him and hope that he doesn't attack her, leave him alone or climb in next him and hold him which was something her mother used to do for her when she had nightmares.

She decided that waking him would be the best option. Carefully she shook his shoulder and whispered his name. No response. She tried again but a little harder. Still no response. With a sigh she grabbed his shoulder hard and called out to him loudly. It did the trick. His eyes flashed open and he sat up. Unfortunately his mind was still in the dream and the next thing she knew they were both on the ground with her practically sitting in his lap as he held her in a choke hold. Her first instinct was to fight back but she knew that he would snap out of it once he realized what he was doing so she just let her body go limp. Despite knowing he would let go of her, it did nothing to calm her racing heart as her air was being cut off. Not soon enough he let her go and all but pushed her away as he cowered against his bed trying to get as far away from her as possible.

"Raleigh?" She choked out, massaging her neck. "Raleigh, it's okay. You're safe now. It was just a dream." He looked up at her with wide eyes, filled with tears.

"I am so sorry. I didn't...I...I...I didn't mean to." He stammered, she moved towards him and he backed away from her but he had nowhere to go as she got closer.

"It's okay. I'm alright." She pulled him into her arms and let him hold on to her for dear life as he let his brain process what had happened.

They stayed like that until Raleigh tired himself out and fell back to sleep. She didn't care that they were still on the floor, but she shifted so his head rested in her lap and she reached up to grab a pillow that she put under his head and blanket to wrap around her shoulders. Looking down at him all she could think was that he resembled a small child that had lost everything and her maternal instinct was to shelter him from it. So she stayed awake, watching over him, making sure he didn't wake from another nightmare. She found herself combing her fingers through his hair like she had when they had been in this same position the first time in the bed of the truck. He didn't even stir for the rest of the night and by the time the sun came up she found herself drifting off.

March 4th 2020 - 11:00am

When she woke up the second time it was because George had come into the room with breakfast. She hadn't even heard him come in and when she felt a hand on her shoulder she inhaled deeply as she was pulled from sleep. She looked around at the room and with the light shining through the window she could see that Raleigh's bed was empty. For a moment she sat there confused, wondering where he would be but then she remembered last night and she looked down at her lap where Raleigh was still sound asleep. Looking up to George she motioned for him to set the tray on her bed and mouthed a thank you as he left her to wake the injured soldier. She smiled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder to gently shake him awake.

"Raleigh. Hey George brought us breakfast." For a moment he didn't respond but she gave him a couple of seconds and he eventually turned his head upwards to look at her.

"Why am I on the floor?" He mumbled rubbing his eyes like a small child.

"You had a nightmare last night that I woke you up from." She told him, holding back the urge to massage her neck. 'I hope it isn't bruised.'

"Oh god I attacked you. Are you okay?" He asked sitting up suddenly. He turned enough so he could face her, grabbed her chin and turned her head up so he could see her neck.

"Is it bruised?" She asked softly. She wasn't mad but she knew that he would feel immensely guilty when he realized that he had attacked her in the middle of the night because of a nightmare.

"Yes." He gritted his teeth and released her chin.

"Raleigh, it's fine. I'm sure I'll return the favor one night. you're not the only one who has nightmares. First time I stayed here with George, I had a nightmare and being my grandfather figure he came rushing in to see what was wrong. Unfortunately, when he shook me awake my first response was to punch whatever had touched me. I broke his nose." She explained with a fond smile on her face. "We laugh about it now." Her short story didn't seem to help the guilt that was pooling in his eyes so she dropped it and let him simmer for the time being. Instead she grabbed the tray of food and placed it on her lap. Two plates sat next to one another filled with eggs and apple slices. It wasn't much but it was food. She handed Raleigh his food but he wouldn't take it. He looked up at her and shook his head in rejection. She rolled her eyes and placed the plate with the fork on his lap. His eyes followed her movements until he was staring at the plate the was sitting on his lap.

"I'm not hungry." He told her, staring at the plate. Not three seconds after he had said that his stomach let out a loud growl in protest and she could have sworn she saw him glaring at his abdomen.

"Your stomach says bullshit." She told him and his head snapped up to fix her with a weird look. "You need to eat Raleigh."

They ate their breakfast in silence and she sat there until he had finished eating the entire plate of food. Once she was satisfied with the amount food he had consumed she got up and went into the bathroom to shower. She didn't take long but as she got out of the shower she realized her mistake. She hadn't grabbed any clothes. Usually she would just go into her room in her towel to grab her clothes, but that was when she had her room to herself. Now she had a roommate of the opposite sex. She slapped her palm to her forehead in irritation. 'Of course I would forget to grab clothes. Way to go Ana.' With a deep breath she opened the door and quickly walked out to the closet where her scrubs were. She had to be at work in about an hour and she didn't want to be late. 'There is nothing to be embarrassed about Ana, it's nothing he hasn't seen before.' She told herself as she pulled her bra and underwear out of the drawers in the closet. Once she had what she needed she shuffled back into the bathroom and put her back against the door once it was closed. She let out a deep breath and shook her head. 'Time to get to work.'

It took her about twenty minutes to get dressed in her scrubs, her teeth brushed, and her hair dried enough to braid. When she walked out of the bathroom Raleigh was sitting at the desk reading her book. She smiled, hoping that the reading would do him some good. During her stages of depressions she had used books as an escape from the cruel reality of the world. It had worked for the most part.

"I'm going to head to work Raleigh. I'm picking up some more clothes for you on the way home as well as toiletries and a set of crutches from the hospital. " she told him. He didn't look up or say anything or even acknowledge that she had said anything at all. Just as she was about to step out of the room she noticed that he had goosebumps on his arms, a sign that he was cold. Knowing he wouldn't do anything to make himself warm she went downstairs to make a cup of coffee for him. He was still in the same spot as he was before she left the room. She placed the coffee in front of him and grabbed a blanket to wrap around his shoulders. She noticed him shift towards the heat she was giving off and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his shoulder in a hug.

"You'll get through this. I promise Raleigh. Even if it's the last thing I do." She whispered in his ear before standing up straight and leaving the room before he could say anything. By leaving so quick she had missed the fact that he had grabbed the coffee to take a sip only to smile at it and pull the blanket closer to himself for warmth.

March 4th 2020 - 12pm

Upon her arrival at the hospital she was immediately bombarded with tasks. Her first was to check on a child who had broken his arm the night before and had received his cast. When she saw the boy she couldn't help but give him a sympathetic smile and help him get out of the office as fast as possible. The next was inventory. She had been placed on inventory for the past week and she already hated it. Repetition killed her and this task was doing the same thing over and over again. Lucky she didn't have to do it alone today. It would seem one of her friends had been sent to help her because she wasn't doing it fast enough.

"Hello Ana." Her friend greeted as she entered the store room. The woman was about five inches taller than her with a curvy build. Her black hair reached her waist and her eyes hid behind thick rimmed glasses.

"Hey Grace." She greeted in return as she scanned her card and grabbed a clipboard. "How are your kids?"

"They are doing fine. How are Billy and George?" Grace asked her placing a box of medicine back on the shelf.

"They are fine. The was a castaway on the beach the other day. He was pretty badly injured so I fixed him up and he's just been staying with us." She explained.

"Is he ex military?" Grace inquired giving her a strange look. She knew Grace was looking at her neck but she tried to ignore it. As a nurse she couldn't wear a scarf to cover up the bruise.

"Of a sort yes." She replied nonchalantly.

"That explains the mark on your neck. PTSD nightmares?"

"Yes. Luckily I know how to handle those." She smiled at Grace, who returned it.

They lapsed into silence and she let her mind wander as she mindlessly took inventory. She had been a nurse since she was 18. At first it had started out as a part time job where she would take inventory, help with paperwork and take notes for a doctor. Then she managed to advance to an Orderly where she did the same job; the only difference was that she was getting paid. Because of the Kaiju attacks the Hospitals had become desperate for nurses. nursing was now an on the job learning experience. Before her family had died she had dreamed of attending the Jaeger academy but when her family died she had lost all hope for that wish. It wasn't until she had been hospitalized after an attack, that she realized that if she couldn't help the people by fighting the Kaiju then she would do it by saving the lives of those that had been injured. It was what kept her going. A purpose she was glad to have and over the years she had made a name for herself at the Anchorage Hospital. In five years she had gone from an Orderly to a Nurse Practitioner.

She was pulled from her thoughts when her pager went off. She was needed in the ER for a surgery. Without hesitation she threw her clipboard down on the nearest surface and ran out of the inventory stores. After years of practice she weaved in and out of the other workers. There had been a time when she would accidentally run into another nurse or a doctor and on more than one occasion she had caused them to drop a tray of medicine. She new the hospital like the back of her hand and she was at the ER in less than five minutes.

The patient was a young female, about eighteen or nineteen. From the looks of it she had been in a serious car accident. The EMT's had managed to set her bones and get her minor injuries under control but there were pieces of shrapnel in her abdomen and her job was to remove them. In the operating room she frantically searched for a pair of gloves to wear but it seemed they were out and after just coming out of the inventory stores she knew that they were out in there too. She groaned in frustration, rushing over to the wash station to get her hands as clean as she possibly could before the procedure. Her assistants already had the poor girl under when she finished. As she approached the girl she had to force herself to take a deep breath and calm down before she stepped up to the workstation and picked up her tools.

About an hour later, her hands were covered in blood and she was shaking. This was the part of her job that she hated the most. Having blood on her hands. It reminded her of the day her brother died and the blood that she had been covered in. But as a nurse she had to deal with it. As a way to deal with it she usually left it on her hands longer than necessary to get used to having it there. It was a way to show herself that as a nurse it would be a reoccurring thing and she had to learn how to not have a panic attack every time she finished a surgery.

The hours had ticked by and when she had calmed down and finally washed the blood off of her hands she realized that her shift had been over for an hour already. With a sigh she made her way out to her car with her things, saying goodbye to her co-workers as she left. The night had already fallen and she knew that George would have dinner ready when she got back. She prayed that Raleigh had decided to eat more food while she was gone. If he continued the way he was he would be skin and bones by the end of the month.

She still had one stop to make before heading home. Raleigh needed clothes. He couldn't keep wearing the clothes George had given him. So with a exasperated sigh she started her truck and pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

 **Hope you guys liked this. I wasn't sure where to end this but I knew that this chapter was supposed to give more background on her as well as where she has been for the past 10-15 years. Let me know what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry this took so long. I had a hard time figuring out what to write and how to write it properly but I think I got it. I promise I will go back later and fix inconsistencies and grammar problems for now this story is just the first draft and I hope you guys enjoy Chapter 4. Comment/reviews are much appreciated and encouraging as are votes! Enjoy my lovelies!

Chapter 4 - Irrational Guilt

March 5th 2020

She got home late. Much later than she had intended. Shopping for clothes had taken longer than she had expected and by the time she pulled up to the house the dash clock read 11:30pm. The windows were dark in the house and she knew they were all asleep. With an exhausted sigh she heaved the bags out of the car and into the house. Inside she dropped them in the kitchen and grabbed an apple to munch on. She had hoped to be home at least before they had all gone to bed but she had promised she would pick Raleigh up some clothes.

"Ana! Help!" George came running down the stairs suddenly startling her. Her sudden jolt sent her apple to the floor and she growled at it.

"What is it George?" She asked as she stifled a yawn.

"Soldier boy is having another nightmare. I don't know what to do!" He exclaimed.

"Go back to bed. I'll take care of this." She told him running a hand through her didn't particularly want to deal with their guest at that moment but she let out a breath and went up the stairs to her room mumbling the whole way. "Luckily I have the day off tomorrow."

As she reached the room she could hear him yelling rather loudly in his sleep. She entered the room and saw he was in the same situation as the night before. This time however she knew not to wake him for fear of having her neck snapped. Instead she shrugged off her scrubs and threw her pjs on and crawled in behind Raleigh on the bed, winding her arms around her so she was holding him. The moment she touched him he quieted down and settled in to sleep, much to her surprise. She didn't have to wait very long for sleep to consume her and when she finally succumbed to the void, he did not dream.

The next morning she woke to Raleigh's shifting weight on the bed. They had moved around on the bed and now instead of her holding him she now had her head resting on his chest, his arm draped lazily around her waist. In her mind she was fighting two arguments. One; she was too comfortable to get up out of bed and two; this was an odd situation to be in. She had only met the three days prior and they were already sharing a bed. She really didn't know what to think or do.

He shifted under her and she couldn't help but let out a loud yawn that caught his attention. His body tensed underneath her at the sudden realization that there was someone lying on him. He took her by surprise when he nuzzled into her hair and held her closer. A blush swept across her cheeks and she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Good morning." She muttered, and he jumped slightly.

"Am I dreaming?" He asked her.

"No, this is very real. You had a nightmare last night. I wasn't sure what to do since I didn't want to get attacked." She explained. He responded with a thoughtful hum. They didn't speak for the rest of the morning and it seemed that they had come to a small agreement. If one or the other was hurting they would do what they could ease their pain. She couldn't understand it but she had this connection with him. They could sit there in silence in each other's' arms, even after only knowing each other for four days and it wasn't uncomfortable. She had forgotten what it had been like to be in another man's arms and she had forgotten the level of comfort and security it brought her.

After their agreement that day, they often found one or the other moving to share a bed in the middle of the night due to nightmares. Due to Raleigh's outbursts and nightmares, her's had resurfaced and she was no longer the only one doing the comforting. The first night she had a nightmare, she had woken Raleigh up with her screaming into her pillow and loud sobs. The moment he had realized what was going on he had rushed over to her and pulled her from her dreams. From that night on they realized that not sharing a bed wouldn't work, so with the help of George they had pushed their two beds together to created a bigger space or the two of them.

April 21st 2020

Two months had passed and Raleigh had become like a ghost. She barely saw him and when she did it was when she was taking him food in the evening when she was there, cleaning his wounds or going to bed. He stayed in their room all the time, despite being able to walk around now. He either sat at the desk staring out the window or he laid on the bed looking up at the ceiling with the lights off. When she would bring him food he wouldn't eat unless she sat there and made him eat and even then he ate very little. He was moping about and slowly killing himself. She was sick of it. He was wasting food and her time by not getting any better, yet she understood his pain. She had lost family too. Maybe not in the same way but she had lost someone very close to her as well. She was beginning to lose hope in him getting any better. His wounds had been infected for the first two weeks so they had taken a little longer to heal than normal to heal but his heart and mind were still aching. She could see it clear as the rising sun. She wanted so badly to give that extra push to get out of his depression but she was scared that it would only make it worse. So she decided not give him an extra push but to let him know that he had a shoulder to lean on. She took her opportunity to let him know that she was there for him late one night after getting home from her shift at the hospital. She was still in her scrubs when she walked through the door.

The house was quiet and she wasn't surprised considering the clock read 11:55pm. She unbundled herself, hanging her jacket, scarf, hat and keys next to the door, before heading up the stairs. Her progress up the stairs was slow and she skipped over stairs she knew would creek. In her room Raleigh was sitting at the desk, his food untouched in front of him. With a sigh she closed the door as quietly as she could so she didn't startle him.

"Raleigh?" she gently called, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't respond so she crouched down beside him. "We should check your ankle." That was enough to catch his attention. He looked over at her and she had to hold back a gasp. His eyes were severely bloodshot and there were dark circles under his bottom eyelid from lack of sleep. He looked awful and as a nurse she couldn't l bare to see him do this to himself any longer. She stood and took his hands, pulling him to his feet. He was slow in getting to his full height but once he was there she put his arm around his shoulder so he could lean on her. In the bathroom she had him sit on the edge of the bathtub where she began to unwrap his ankle. Though it had taken longer due to infections, his laceration and other wounds had healed his ankle was still on the mend.

"Your other wounds have healed nicely." She told him, running her fingers over the scars on his arms. Nothing, not so much as a nod in response. "Raleigh, I'm worried about you. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it yet but you need to eat something. As your nurse that is your medicine." Raleigh didn't respond right away but when he did he only nodded, refusing to look her in the eyes. She sighed and cupped his face gently in both of her hands. "You will pull through this Raleigh, I promise. I know I've only known you from two months and I barely actually know you but I promise I will help you through this." In the two months that he had been here she had come to see him as more than a patient. She cared about his well being as a best friend would. She had been in his situation before and she knew what needed to happen for him to pull out, but she also knew that it took time.

Once she was satisfied that she had gotten through to him she released his face and resumed her check on his ankle. She rotated it different ways, watching his face for reactions and the moment he started wincing she quit putting pressure on it. His ankle was doing just fine, it would only take about two more weeks before he could start working to gain his strength back. After her check she guided him back to their bed and he laid down, curling up on his side. Her heart ached for him and she wished she could just take all of his pain away but she didn't know how. It had taken her years to learn how to live with the pain in her chest and she knew that it would be years for him as well she just wished she could do something that would speed up that process.

She changed out of her scrubs and walked into the bathroom in her bra and underwear to look at herself in the mirror. Over the years her body had matured but none of the scars had disappeared. Across her abdomen was a six inch pale white scar from a car crash that she had been in during the first wave of attacks. Another scar ran down her left arm from the first wave. The last was a long scar that ran from the underside of her chin on the right side all the way to the top of her left breast. Her brother had pushed her out of the way of most of the debris but the one that had crushed him instead of her had still sliced her, leaving her with a permanent reminder of the sacrifice her brother had made for her. The next thing she noticed about her body was that her hair had grown past her waist. She hadn't noticed until now, but her dark curls were healthier than they had been since the first attack. Shaking her head she got to work, washing her face and brushing her teeth. Once she was done she went back into the bedroom and changed into her pjs. She was slow in getting her clothes on. She didn't even care that Raleigh was still awake and would see her if he was even watching. She didn't want to sleep. She just wanted to meditate and think about her life.

Eventually she crawled into bed beside him, curling into his side, her head on his chest. Though his eyes were closed he instantly wrapped an arm around her, holding her tight. His chest moved up and down with his breathing which gradually began to even out. Despite not wanting to sleep she soon found herself drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

April 22nd 2020

They woke the next morning to a cold breeze drifting in through the window. She shivered harshly, waking Raleigh up. His body was the only source of heat she could find and she didn't plan on leaving it any time soon. She pressed herself closer to him and she heard him chuckle.

"Cold?" He mumbled in his sleepy daze. She only nodded and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He flinched away. "Your nose is freezing." He exclaimed and suddenly they were laughing. She hadn't a clue why or what was so funny but she couldn't stop laughing. She wasn't alone. He was laughing as well and her heart swelled with happiness. To hear him laugh for the first time in three months was a blessing and she thought maybe there was hope for him. Moments his laughter suddenly turned to tears. She sobered immediately and propped herself up on her elbow. She looked down at him with a sympathetic smile. Seeing the tears streaming down his face brought her own tears to the surface.

"Raleigh...Look at me, please. What's wrong?" She asked gently, grabbing his hand in hers. His eyes didn't open and she gave his hand a squeeze. "You can talk to me, Raleigh. What is going through your head?" She waited patiently for him to catch his breath and as she sat there she thought about what she could say to him that would help. Nothing came to mind though. There was nothing that could help this kind of pain. She knew that better than anyone.

"It's all my fault." He whispered. rubbing his face. In that moment she realized what was going on. He was blaming himself for the death of his co-pilot.

"Telling me what happened my help you get over that guilt or even show you that you had no control over what happened." She explained.

"But I did though! It was my fault we saved the civilian boat. I disobeyed orders and it got my brother killed!" He sat up suddenly. His outburst startled her and she jumped.

"How did he die?" She asked, quietly. She had spoken so softly that she was afraid that he hadn't heard her.

"The Kaiju that had come through the breach didn't die the first time we shot it. We hesitated when our commanding officer ordered us back to the shatterdome and as a result the Kaiju breached the hull and tore the right hemisphere pilot out. I was still connected to him when he died. I felt everything and now the silence in my head is a reminder that he is gone." He broke down again, hunching over to put his head between his knees. She sat up and put her arms around his shoulder.

"Raleigh...I know that guilty feeling very well. My family was killed in the third or fourth attack. They told me to run but as an eleven year old girl I was scared and frozen. Because of this my brother died instead of me. He pushed me out of the way to keep me from getting crushed by debris." She explained to him. He looked up at her over his shoulder and gave her a look of understanding. "I know what you're feeling...sort of...the thing is Raleigh, your hesitation was as much your choice as it was his, you both chose to save that ship against orders. You had no control over what the Kaiju did or how it attacked. Just like I had no control over my brother when he pushed me out of the way. Don't let this eat you up inside because at the end of the day you had no control in that situation. What happened, happened and though it is very sad Yancy wouldn't want you to be beating yourself up about this."

"Will it get easier?" He asked her.

"In time. You will learn to bear the pain of that silence and hopefully fill it with someone just as important. In time you will learn to accept and live with that hole in your chest, as I have." She told him, resting her forehead on his as she spoke. "And I promise I will be there every step of the way...if you want me to be."

The words had spilled out her mouth before she could stop them, their meaning sounding far more romantic than she had meant them to be. However, in that moment it had been the right thing to say, or so she thought as he cupped her face in both hands and pulled her lips towards his. The kiss was gentle, so gentle that it felt like it wasn't even happening, but the sudden sparks in her belly told her that he was in fact kissing her. Her heart was racing and she had a hard time admitting to herself that she was enjoying this. For so long she had refused to let anybody in but this kiss made her walls crumble to dust. It was a single kiss that changed their relationship. It was a kiss of understanding and gratitude. It was a kiss that would be left alone for the many months to come.

Not excluding these AN there are officially 2913 words! Again let me know what you think! I'll post as soon as I have Chapter 5 done!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Here it is! I'm glad to see people are reading this I wasn't sure if my readers would like it as much as my Narnia or at all. Leave a comment with critique or just thoughts either works! Love hearing for you guys!

Enjoy!

Chapter 5 - New Routine

May 11th 2020

"You my friend have completely healed and you may now start putting your full weight on your ankle." She told Raleigh who was finally able to come downstairs for a meal. She had helped him down the stairs but upon checking his ankle once last time she discovered that it had healed just fine.

"I have an idea for 'physical therapy'." Raleigh said, mocking her with air quotes as he said physical therapy. She laughed him and nodded.

"What's that Mr. Becket?" She inquired, knowing it bugged him when she used formalities with him.

"Your training!" He was excited about this. But when he said training she gave him a funny look.

"What do you mean by training?" She stood up so she was at eye level with him.

"I want to teach you how to fight. I need a sparring partner." He told her hesitantly. She thought about it for the moment and honestly she wouldn't mind learning how to fight. It would teach her how to defend herself in the case that she was attacked.

"Sounds like fun." She replied with a wide grin.

"Really?" He asked her looking slightly shocked. She smirked at him.

"I've already been conditioned. At least with cardio. Muscular is probably what I need work with." She explained. "Why is it you wish to train me?"

"It's something familiar, something I did with Yancy. He was my co-pilot so we had to know how the other fought. At the academy we often sparred when we couldn't find anything else to do." He told her with a reminiscent look in his eyes. Understanding flooded her mind as she realized why he wanted to teach her how to fight. He needed a sense of familiarity or at least a familiar routine that he could stick by.

"When do we start?" She asked.

"After breakfast." He grinned

True to his word, after breakfast she found herself out in the snow wearing nothing but a tank top, running pants and sneakers. After living in Alaska for so long she had become accustomed to the temperature however that didn't stop a chill from going through her body every couple of minutes. She had been positioned in a fighting stance thanks to Raleigh and he was talking to her about how to properly punch. What she didn't tell him was that he knew all of what he was say before he had decided to train her so when he told her to punch she laughed when he had to shake his hand out.

"You could have told me you knew how to pack a punch." He hissed shaking his hand vigorously. She chuckled and shook her head.

"I can do more than that." She told him. He stopped shaking his hand and looked at her with a whirled eyebrow. "Let's just spar. So you know where I'm at. Take it easy though."

"What? Don't want me to shovel the snow with you?" He challenged and she just rolled her eyes.

"No I'm more concerned about you breaking your ankle again." She chastised putting her hands on her hips. His mouth quickly formed an O and he scratched the back of his head. "Your move Raleigh."

He began circling her and she moved her body accordingly. He just smirked at her before moving fast in attempt to jab her ribs. She dodged out of the way and he stumbled past her. He quickly regained his footing and she gave him a look, urging him to strike again. He took the invitation and aimed a right hook at her. Her left arm shot out and batted his punch to the side and she hit him in the chest with a quick jab to the chest. He stepped back and raised an eyebrow at her. She knew he was testing her. He didn't want to hurt her. He was sizing up her skills. Before too long he began to fight a little harder and she smirked, grateful for the challenge. This went on for about an hour or two before she found herself tiring out. She was ready to get warmed up inside.

"Is that all you got, Mr. Becket?" She taunted as she caught his fist and twisted his arm behind his arm. He grimaced at the slight pain that shot up his shoulder and she loosened her grip, not wanting to hurt him so soon after he had healed. He took the advantage and elbowed her in the gut. She let him go and he ended the spar with a quick swipe to her legs. She landed on her back but as she fell she let her leg whip out and catch him behind the knees. He landed on top of her and all the air was pushed from her lungs.

"It's Raleigh." He corrected her, as he propped himself up on his elbow. She was still catching her breath and letting the pain in her chest ease away.

"I'll remember that for next time." She wheezed. He chuckled at her and got up. She laid there for a moment in the snow looking up at the sky.

"Let's get you inside." He put his hand out for her and she grabbed his forearm. She let him pull her up. Once she was on her feet he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her inside as she shivered from the cold. Her clothes were wet and the wind wasn't helping.

Inside the house he pulled her to the fireplace that was already lit. Shaking violently, finally realizing how cold she really was she pulled off her tank top and sweatpants to eliminate some of the cold that was touching her body. She sat with her arms wrapped around her knees in only her sports bra and underwear. When Ralegh joined her again he was in dry clothes and he had her father's sweater on hand and a thick blanket in the other. He tossed her the sweater and she quickly pulled it on. As soon as she pulled her head through the blanket was tossed over her shoulders. She smiled up at with with chattering teeth. He returned the smile and moved into the kitchen.

"Where is your tea?" He asked her.

"H...h...Hot...hot chocolat….is i...in...in the cupboard….cupboard above the….the stove." She chattered out as best she could. She saw him chuckling at her and she couldn't muster up a glare in her chilled state. She could feel the heat beginning to return to her fingers.

"Here you go. One hot chocolate for you. One hot chocolate for me." He sat down beside her and handed her a steaming mug. She eagerly took the mug and sighed as it warmed her hands. "Better?" He inquired. All she could muster was a nod as she blew on the hot liquid. She wanted nothing more than to take a drink but she knew that the liquid would scald her tongue.

They say there in silence, watching the flames and just enjoying each other's company. She found herself fighting to keep her eyes on the flames. Every now and then she would glance over at him from the corner of her eye but she would look away just as quick when he would catch her looking. Ever since the kiss she had been finding it difficult to keep eye contact with him when they were talking. She would easily find herself lost in his eyes but by looking away she found it easier to ignore the feelings that were beginning to bubble up inside. It had nearly been two and a half months and she was already starting to fall for him. How could she not though? He was attractive and smart and funny when he was in a good mood. He was like her, he knew what loss was on a level that even she didn't know but they understood each other. The more she got to know him the more she found herself wanting to know more. She could only pray that the attraction was mutual. Before the Kaiju had created world panic and chaos she had been rejected one to many times and after a while she found it difficult to put herself out there and risk what little self esteem she still had. In this ending world she wanted nothing more than to have the chance at love, a chance at a happy ending. The moment she realized she was starting to care for Raleigh she had tried to deny it but the feelings were too strong. Now she was in a constant battle with herself. Should she make the first move or wait for him so she knew she wouldn't get rejected? She didn't know and it was killing her.

Sitting in front of the fireplace in complete silence was blissful and she wished she could stay like this forever with him. Just having him near her calmed her down.

"Do you ever wish you could go back and change things? Do anything different?" He asked her suddenly. She looked over at him and once again she could see the regret in his eyes.

"No. Things happen for a reason. We may not understand right now but the things we endure shape each and everyone of us for a reason." She told him. "You wish you could go back and not be a jaeger pilot." She said. He nodded in affirmation and she gave him a sad look.

"Yes. Maybe he would be here still." He sighed. She reached over and grabbed his hand.

"You cannot dwell on what could be, Raleigh. Even if you two hadn't been pilots he may not still be alive. There is no telling what could have happened." She explained. He laced their fingers and she watched his eyes soften as he stared at their hands. She was thankful he wasn't paying attention to her because he would have seen the color in her cheeks.

"I'm glad I'm here." He told her. He looked up at her and gave her a small smile. "I would probably be back at the Shatterdome had I been taken to a hospital."

She didn't say anything. There wasn't any need to say anything. For the next months to come this became their routine. On days she had off from work, they would go for a three mile run and come back to the cabin for lunch. After lunch they would go out onto the beach and he would teach her how to fight. By the time fall came around their sparring had turned into a rhythmic dialogue. They knew each other's fighting weaknesses and strengths and would play off of them. Raleigh began to smile and mess around with her more often and she was glad to see that teaching her how to fight had brought him a sense of normalcy.

He no longer sat in their room and sulked. He helped around the house and when he felt fit enough he had joined in on the construction of the coastal wall. No one had known who he was and for that she knew he had been grateful, but she knew that he was now being watched. The Jaeger program knew he was alive and they intended to keep tabs on him. They would go out for groceries and there would always be the same man watching them. She knew the man wouldn't hurt them but being watched left her unnerved. Raleigh didn't seem to notice, or if he did he didn't let it bother him. So she never said anything about it and they went about their lives like normal Alaskans. For the first time in a long time she felt at ease and normal. She had Raleigh to thank for that, and she dreaded the day he was called back into action, because it was inevitable.

Hope you guys liked this. Let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

I know I said it may be a while but I found the time to write this short chapter. I hope you guys like it.

Chapter 6 - Holidays

October 31st 2020 - Halloween! RAARHH!

Too soon the holidays were upon them and she couldn't have been happier. It was finally a time when they could forget about all the pain and suffering the world had gone through. Halloween had always been her favorite holiday. At the hospital, the children patients that weren't very mobile sat outside their rooms with empty bowls and the nurses would walk around dropping candy in the bowl everytime they walked passed. The smiles it brought to their faces warmed her heart and she always made it her goal to walk past the kids at least five or six times when she was on shift. At home, they never got any kids trick or treating because they were too close to the coast so she would stop at the store and get a bunch of candy that they would eat while watching scary movies. She hated scary movies but Halloween was the one time of year that she would let George and Billy scare her with them. This time though they had Raleigh's help and she had no clue the surprise she was in for when she got home from work.

The weather had started to cool off as they got further and further into fall. She was bundled up too keep the cold from hitting her too hard. Though she was still in her scrubs she had changed out of her white Keds and into her Timberlands and her jacket was zipped up with a scarf peaking out at the collar. Her braid had long since become a mess with hair falling out everywhere and pieces whipping in her face when she stepped out of her truck. Looking at the house she couldn't see any lights on in the house and the hair on her arms stood on end. She knew they were home because the other truck was still there but she knew they were probably hiding in an attempt to scare her. She approached the house carefully. The anticipation was killing her and she was dreading stepping through the door. Reluctantly she slipped her key into the door, unlocked it and pushed it open. She stayed on the porch incase they had planned to jump out the second she stepped through the door. But she knew better. Raleigh was smarter than that. With any luck she would end up screaming and then crying and laughing in embarrassment. She huffed, just wanting to get it over with. She walked into the house and began her usual process of unbundling and putting her things in their proper place.

"I'm home!" She yelled into the house. She paused and waited for a response. Nothing. Absolute silence. She flipped the lights on and prepared for one of them to jump out. Instead she found her house completely decked out with old Halloween decorations. Most of it was stuff she remembered from when her parents had brought her up here once to visit George. She couldn't help but smile, despite the creepy feeling the stupid decorations gave her.

She continued her way up the stairs and to her room. All the way up the stairs the boys had stretched and strung spiderwebs making it look like a tunnel. As she walked through it she could feel random pieces touching her and it gave her goose bumps. At the top of the stairs she looked both ways and sighed. So far so good. She thought to herself. She entered her room as she always did, more focused on the door and where she was stepping than what was in front of her. She scratched the back of her neck, letting out a deep breath and made her way over to her closet.

"RAAARHH!" The sudden loud noise caused her to shriek and jump backwards from her closet. Her hand had been hovering above the door handle when Raleigh had jumped out yelling at her. He was covered in fake blood and he looked like an almost zombie.

"Raleigh…" She whined, a hand over her heart and she sat down on the bed to catch her breath. He had his hands on his knees to keep himself from falling over with laughter. She just sat there and crossed her arms, glaring at him. A full ten minutes passed before he was able to speak and she was pretty sure she was still bright red.

"That was priceless." He breathed out, sitting on the bed beside her. She fixed him with a stern glare but she was having a hard time keeping it up with the look he was giving her in return. He had a twinkle in his eye she hadn't seen before and it made her heart melt.

"You're such an asshat." She whined, giving in and leaning her head on his shoulder so she didn't have to look him in the eye. He chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm so glad they helped me plan that." He laughed and she just groaned, hiding her face in his neck. His smell overwhelmed her and she was thankful for the previous embarrassment because it gave her an excuse for the heavy blush on her cheeks. The next thing she knew his lips were pressing up against the crown of her head and it took everything in her not to tense up from the sudden affection. Over the past months he had slowly been becoming more affectionate towards her. She only prayed it was because he cared for her the way she did for him and not because he wanted something from her.

"Come on. George and Billy will have heard you getting scared and started on dinner." Raleigh said, standing up and putting his hands out for her.

"You're still an asshole." She grumbled as she accepted the help and allowed him to lead her downstairs and into the kitchen where George was at the stove cooking spaghetti. A content sigh left her lips and her mouth watered at the smell of the food. It had been a long time since she had had spaghetti because of the rationing of the ports.

They spent the rest of the night telling scary stories in front of the fire and eventually they transitioned to watching movies, her and Raleigh curled up on a layer of blankets on the floor in front of the TV. She didn't know if Raleigh had heard the camera that went off behind them but she ignored it, despite the way it made her blush. They fell asleep that night with her laying on his chest. George took one last picture of the two as they slept and when the polaroid had printed he put it in their room on their bed for them to see in the morning.

November 26th 2020 - Thanksgiving

The holidays seemed to rushing up on them and on Thanksgiving she found herself in the kitchen that morning trying to figure out what she was supposed to do for dinner. Due to rations there was only so much she could do for a big meal. It's not like they had turkey running around in Alaska that she could go shoot and serve up. She had the entire day off so she had plenty of time to figure it out and get cooking, but she was having a terrible "cooking block".

"Raleigh! I don't know what to make!" She whined as he walked into the kitchen, headed straight for the coffee machine.

"For what?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned against the counter, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Thanksgiving." She deadpanned.

"That's today?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Raleigh it's christmas." She said flatly, giving him the most bored look she could. "Yes it's Thanksgiving you dip!" She threw her hands up in exasperation and turned back to the fridge.

"Ooo, somebody's got the sass turned up on high today." He shot back at her. She glared at him over her shoulder.

"Oh hush it." She grumbled back.

"My family used to do soup, bread and salad. Mom and dad hated turkey." Raleigh suggested. She paused what she was doing to look at him. He rarely talked about his family and when he did she would usually ask him about it. But there was something about the look in his eyes this time. There wasn't a deep sorrow instead there was a small smile on his face. He looked happy.

"Sounds like a great idea." She said, opening up the fridge to check is she had what she needed. Luckily she had the right ingredients for the soup and salad but the bread on the other hand was a different story. It was hard to come by in Alaska these days because it was so loved by the world population.

That night they sat around the fire with their plates of food waiting for her before they would start. She had managed to find a bottle of wine in one of the stores that week and she had nearly forgot about it. She came back into the room with the bottle in one hand and three glass in the other. George and Raleigh smiled at her.

"Now this night is perfect." She laughed as she sat down between Raleigh and Billy. "Before we begin I want each one of us took around and say something that they are thankful for." She announced, pouring the glasses. She looked at Billy signaling for him to start.

"Well….I'm grateful for George for taking me into his home when he found me on the streets. I don't think I would still be here if it weren't for him. And I'm grateful for you, Ana for bringing some light into this house with everything you do for us." Billy said. She smiled at him and leaned over to give him a hug.

"I'm grateful for the two wonderful kids I've seen grow over the past years. You've both grown so much since I took you in and I'm thankful that it was me to find you instead of some social workers." George spoke fondly. "After Andrew and Maria died in the first wave I didn't want live. They were my life. But you two kids have filled that hole in my world and have given me a purpose for living again. I don't know where I would be without you kids." George's words brought tears to her eyes and she put her plate aside to give him a hug. They embraced for a while before she pulled away. "I am also grateful for you Raleigh. I haven't seen her smile like that since she came here. You have her a purpose again and seeing her smile everyday has been a joy." Im the dim light she could see the slight blush on Raleigh's cheeks as he accepted George's words.

"My turn huh?" Raleigh rubbed the back of his neck and she smiled. He did that when he was thinking about what to say. "Well….where to start? I'm thankful to be alive. I don't think I would be if it weren't for you. The three of you saved my life. In more ways than one. George I'm grateful for allowing me to stay and become apart of your family, something I haven't had since I began my training as a pilot. Billy you've been fun to wrestle with, it's been like having a little brother that I never had and in a way you remind me of my tomboy sister Jazmine." Billy's face scrunched up and the misfit family chuckled. Then Raleigh turned his entire body to face her. Their eyes locked and she couldn't help but blush under his intense gaze. "Ana, where do I begin with you? You have been an anchor for me these past months. You stitched me up when you found me, held me when I broke and at night when I had nightmares. You're turning into quite the sparring partner too. When Yancy died, I was still connected. I can still feel it…" He had to pause to compose himself and she reached forward and took his hand in hers to give him strength. "For the first month I was afraid to let you in. I knew you were there and that you would patiently wait for when I was ready, but I didn't want to open up. After having him in my head for so long it was hard to imagine building that kind of connection with someone again. But you reassured me time and time again that I was going to be okay, so much so that I believed you and look at us now. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm ever so grateful for the friendship, support and comfort you have given me." She didn't know she was crying until he reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She laughed at herself before she leaned forward and pulled him into a hug. After a while she pulled away and wiped her face again.

"Dinner is getting cold. Let's eat." She mumbled.

"But you haven't said anything." Billy exclaimed stopping everyone.

"That's because you guys stole all of my words." She said, kissing the top of his head and missed the look that the two men shared. They said nothing but they knew that she had a lot more to say than any of them but she was choosing not to because they knew she was grateful for everything. They ate in comfortable silence and when they went to bed that night Raleigh said nothing when she cried herself to sleep beside him, he just held her until she drifted off into sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Hope you guys like this. It's about a year later for them and it's really sweet! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 7 - Surprise One Year Celebration

February 29th 2021

"I'm home!" she yelled as she hurried into the house and out of the cold. She had just finished her twenty three hour shift at the hospital and she was beat to say the least. She wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and collapse into bed but it was her night to make dinner. She dropped her keys and coat at the door and made her way towards the kitchen where she could faintly hear music playing. The smell that hit her made her smile. Upon entering the kitchen she saw Raleigh at the stove flipping sandwiches in the cast iron pan. "You are an angel." She spoke quietly.

"You know it Ana." Raleigh said earning a laugh from her. She sat down at the table and watched him as he continued to cook. "How was work?"

"Long. Exhausting. Boring. The usual." She whined putting her head down on the table.

"Are you too tired to go out on a date?" He asked her, setting a plate of sandwiches in front of her. She looked up at him with wide eyes, not sure what to say. She hesitated for a moment wondering if he was joking or not. The look in his eyes told her he wasn't though, he was being completely serious.

"I'm free tomorrow. I don't want to pass out mid date." She smiled at him, grabbing a sandwich and taking a bite of it. The warmth of the sand which spread through her body and she had to hold back a groan in pleasure. He had always been the best at making grilled cheese.

"Ok. Sounds great." He grinned from ear to ear and she couldn't keep the smile from her face. Smiles like that from him were rare and when they happened she wished she had a camera each time.

"What do you have in mind Casanova?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He smirked and returned to the stove where he flipped a sandwich that had been left a little too long on the pan.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." He looked at her over his shoulder and grinned at her. She just rolled her eyes and ate her sandwich. Butterflies were going crazy in her abdomen and she was excited to see what this date was going to be. She had been praying for this to happen but she had never thought it would. In her head she quickly counted the months that he had been here and then something clicked.

"Didn't you land on the beach a year ago today?" She asked suddenly.

"That I did. A year ago today, you saved my life and now I'm going to repay that with an amazing date." He told her as he sat down at the table with his own plate.

"I can't believe it's already been that long." She breathed as he reached over and took her hand in his. "We've been through so much."

"That's for sure. I am so grateful for everything you have done for me." He told her, giving her hand a squeeze so she knew he meant it. She couldn't stop the blush from spreading across her cheeks from his comment.

"Well I didn't do all of the work. In taking care of you you have healed me too." She replied, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. She met his gaze and smiled at him. His deep blue eyes were drawing her in and she couldn't help it when her eyes flicked down to his lips. She could feel his hot breath on her lips and she wanted nothing more than to close the gap between them but the moment was ruined. They quickly pulled apart as Billy came bursting through the doorway. Their fingers were still laced but the atmosphere had been ruined and she had the urge to run from the kitchen.

"I'm going to go for a run." Raleigh said, standing from his spot as he finished eating. He came over to her and placed a kiss on top of her head before leaving the room. She immediately looked over at Billy and glared.

"Did I interrupt something?" He asked innocently.

"Oh don't act like you didn't mean to pipsqueak." She muttered under her breath. She got up and put her dish in the sink on her way out of the kitchen. Now she had to wait for tomorrow to come around. Instead of sitting around and waiting she went to their room where she planned to sleep.

As she got to the top of the stairs Raleigh came out of their room and they crashed into each other. There was a terrifying moment where she felt herself falling but a strong pair of arms wrapped around her and instead of falling backwards down the stairs she felt herself falling forward into their room. There was a moment of falling before she landed on something hard. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at what she had landed on and came face to face with Raleigh. His eyes drew her in and this time she didn't hesitant to swoop down and kiss him. She felt him hesitate for a moment before he relaxed and kissed her back. His hands found her hair, pulling her closer and she melted under his touch. They pulled away and looked at each other. She couldn't help but get lost in his eyes and the thoughts swimming in her head.

"Are you alright?" He asked, cupping her cheek.

"Never better." She whispered, leaning into his touch. "Are you okay?"

"My chest is a little sore from your dead weight but I think I'll leave." He joked, earning a slap to the chest. They both laughed as she rolled off of him and stood up. Not that it would help much she put her hand out to help him up. He smiled at her and accepted the help. "I'm going to go for that run now." He smirked at her. For a moment she looked at him confused but when his eyes turned downwards she saw that she was still holding onto his hand.

"Right. Of course." She stuttered, a blush flooding her cheeks. She had never been so open about her feelings towards him and it was an odd feeling.

"I'll catch you later Ana." He said, kissed her forehead and trotted down the stairs. She stood there for a few moments longer, frozen. They had just kissed. No. She had just kissed him and he hadn't pulled away. Instead he had kissed her back and then kissed her forehead before leaving. He felt the same. She was sure of it. Why else would he kiss her back? He wasn't the type of guy to trick a girl. Not now at least. He could have been that way but the life of a Jaeger pilot had changed him. He had seen too many things to know that being a man whore was a waste of time. She chuckled to herself at the thought.

She entered her room and flopped down on the bed, curling up on her side. The bed smelled of Raleigh and she couldn't help but sigh in content. Soon though she found herself drifting off into sleep not bothering to change out of her scrubs as she drowned in his scent.

Raleigh's POV

He needed to clear his head. All he could think about was how she had felt with her entire weight bearing down on him. He struggled each night to control himself with her when they shared a bed. She was a beautiful woman, though she didn't flaunt it. She was more than just a warm body to him though. After he had crashed on the Anchorage beach she had patched him. She had saved him. In a year he had gone from broke and ready to starve himself to having the motivation to do anything to make her happy, to see her smile.

He had made the decision to take her out that morning but didn't know when her shift ended. So he had sat around all day waiting for her, coming up with how to ask her and when George had come home to find him pacing he had talked to the old man about it. Who better to ask than the man who had taken care of her for ten years? It had been a good choice to ask him. George had notified him that she got home at seven for a twenty three hour shift, warning him that she would be exhausted. That had prepared him for the possible rejection so he had a back up. If she was too tired tonight he planned to see if she would go out the next day. George had also suggested that he make dinner for her because it was her night to cook but she would be too tired to do it.

Six forty five rolled around and he got to work preparing dinner. It wouldn't take long. He planned to make the first dinner George had made them after he had woken up. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. The moment he heard the truck pull up his heart had sped up and when she walked through the kitchen door and called him an angel he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. And when he finally got to turn around and look at her he had to try not to drop the plate of sandwiches he was holding. She was absolutely beautiful. Even after a long day of work. She had dark circles under her eyes and her braid was falling out all over the place but to him she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

The moment he had asked he had been surprised by her casual response and joking demeanor. It made him smile though. It gave him confidence that she would say yes. George had been right to say she would reject tonight but he didn't even need to suggest tomorrow. She had down it for him and his heart soared. Never before had a woman given him butterflies the way she did when she grabbed his hand when he sat down at the table with her. They had a casual conversation but when their eyes locked for more than ten seconds he was drawn in. He saw her eyes flick down to his lips and back to his and he took the sign but he was too slow. Billy had walked in and ruined it. He tried not to be mad about it and instead just decided to go for a run to clear his head. He left the kitchen and when he had come out of their room she had run into him so fast she had nearly fallen backwards down the stairs. Seeing this however he had managed to catch her. The air had been pushed from his lungs but he knew she was safe.

Now he was out in the cold Alaskan air running on the beach to clear his head of her. But it only got worse. He couldn't stop thinking about her. It had become his worst habit. Not that he minded. He didn't have much else to do anyway. Though he had been considering a job in construction of the Anti-Kaiju wall. He wanted to do something more important with his life now that he wasn't a Jaeger pilot and he hoped that Analia could be apart of it. She hadn't replaced Yancy as his best friend but she had filled the void in his heart and mind. Whenever he was away from her he felt lonely and the longing to see her again.

He hadn't realized the time until he got back and saw that the clock read nine o'clock. He had been running for over an hour and a half. His first mission was to get water to cure his overly dry throat, his secondary mission was a shower. Though it was cold in Alaska he still got rather sweaty. As he entered the bedroom, he paused at the sight on the bed. Analia had passed out on top of the covers in her scrubs, her braid was frizzy and coming out everywhere. He smiled at her but moved on to grab a change of clothes. His shower was quick and soon he was sitting on the side of the bed, shaking her awake gently so she could change.

"Ana. You need to change real quick." He whispered, shaking her shoulder gently. She swatted at his hand lazily and he chuckled. Her eyes peeked open and she looked at him with a semi glare.

"You smell good." She muttered, sitting up and stumbling over to the closet. She didn't even bother to go into the bathroom before she started stripping out of her scrubs and into a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt. When she turned around he couldn't help but smile, seeing that the shirt she had grabbed was his. She crawled under the covers, mumbling to herself and he laughed softly at her as he crawled in beside her. He didn't even get fully settled before she curled up on his chest and sighed as she fell back to sleep. He smiled to himself, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he too fell into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**HI GUYS! HAPPY NEW YEAR! ITS'S 2016! How are you guys doing? Hope you're doing amazing! I know I am! Life has been so freaking great lately! I haven't been this happy since my dad passed away two years ago ( D,: ) and it's all because of ONE person! Because I am so happy and inspired by this ONE person in my life you guys get a nice long chapter to read. Yay! I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This is my favorite chapter so far I think. Let me know what you think. Vote and comment with suggestions of what you want to come next or what you think comes next! I love seeing your comments! They're very encouraging!**

 _ **Chapter 8 - First Date**_

 **March 1st 2021**

 _~Analia's POV~_

She woke the next morning, surprised to find herself in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Raleigh's t-shirt to be exact. He was nowhere to be found, though she vaguely remembered him joining her last night. Sitting up she looked at the clock and saw that it was noon. Chuckling to herself, she threw the covers off and jumped out of bed. She shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen where she was met with a wonderful smell. Raleigh was at the stove again making breakfast. Eggs and bacon to be exact.

"Coffee is fresh." Having been so focused on what he was doing she jumped at his sudden voice. She was glad that his back was turned so he didn't see her startled. She went to the cupboard to grab a coffee mug but sighed when she realized it was too far up for her to reach. She glared at the top shelf desperately wishing that a mug would magically appear in her hands. But to no such avail. Instead Raleigh had seen her struggle and had taken putty in her. She heard him chuckle before he came into view and grabbed her a cup. She looked up at him and blushed.

"Thanks." She mumbled. He smiled at her and kissed the top of her head making her face turn and even brighter red. "Quit it. You're making me blush." She ducked away from him laughing in embarrassment.

"But it's adorable." He whined grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to him. She smiled as her back pressed up against his chest. He kissed her cheek quickly and let her go so he could continue cooking. Her face was so red she thought it might melt but to her luck it didn't as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She sat at the table and watched him cook.

"What is the plan for today?" She asked him taking a sip of the coffee to test the temperature.

"I'm thinking a picnic under the stars after some sparring this afternoon." He told her over his shoulder. She smiled. Sparring was one of his favorite things to do with her because each time she got better and better and it became more of a challenge for him.

"Sounds like fun." She remarked, shaking her head in amusement. He looked back at her and met her gaze judging if her tone was joking or not. The smile he sent her sent butterflies into her stomach and she blushed again. Now that their feelings were out in the open it was nice to be able to react the way she naturally did rather than having to hide it.

He finished cooking and brought the plates and food to the table. He sat down and they started eating. They exchanged small talk back and forth as they ate breakfast. They it would seem that they were the only ones in the house. It was nearly one thirty by the time they finished and she hadn't heard anything from Billy or George. They must have been out at the beach trying to find precious metals with Georges' metal detector. Either way she was grateful for the peace and quiet.

"You ready?" He asked, standing up from his seat with his hand out for her. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You bet I am." She smirked. "Ready to kick your ass." She laughed before sprinting past him and towards their bedroom. She was still in her pjs and there was no way she was going to spar unless she changed. She didn't waste time in throwing a pair of yoga pants on with a sports bra and a long sleeve shirt to stay warm.

When she bounded down the stairs and out the front door she found Raleigh meditating. Something she had shown him to control his thoughts and emotions. She joined him on the mat he was sitting on and resumed position. Legs crossed, palms facing the sky as they rested on her knees. She focused on her breathing first. In and out. In and out. In. Out. In. Out. Repeat. She thought only of her breathing nothing else. This was how she tuned out the world. Meditation. It soothed her body and quieted her busy mind. Allowed her to focus on the situation at hand. So when Raleigh's first jab at her ribs came she not only heard it coming but she saw it. She smacked it out of the way and lightly slapped his cheek instead. All while keeping her eyes closed and looking forward. Her response took him by surprise and for a moment he did nothing. She smirked.

"How did you do that?" He asked her.

"Calm your mind. Focus only on your breathing. Nothing else. Clear your mind. And then listen to your surroundings." She told him as she continued to breathe deeply. "If you listen close enough you'll hear everything around you. Even your opponents movements." Even as she spoke she could feel him relaxing and taking in what she was saying. As he was preparing himself she attacked him. Her first jab was a smack to the back of the head to irritate him and then a lighter punch to the gut. She didn't want to bruise him just yet. Or make him throw up. No sooner had she landed her blow she was up in her feet and posed to strike. He was staring at her with a gleam in his eyes that said ' _so that's how this is gonna be'._ It was a challenge. One she gladly accepted.

He stood and rolled their mat up, tieing it to ensure that it didn't come loose. He tossed it in the porch and faced her a devilish smirk on his face. She returned the look and began to focus her mind once again. Her breathing that was all she could think about. All she needed to think about. She couldn't let him distract her.

He made the first move. Swift and deadly had she not moved in time having anticipated his move. She jabbed back at him hitting him in the back of the shoulder as she twisted behind him. Over the last year their duels had become like a conversation. He'd strike she's strike. Sometimes she saw it as more of a dance than anything. Then on occasion they would get aggressive and end up pinning on or the other after wrestling for a bit. It was times like these that she was glad he had taught her how to fight. It was a form of exercise she could do for a couple of hours and not get bored of it. They were still sparring when George and Billy came home. Both covered in sweat despite the cold Alaskan air but she didn't mind. As the truck pulled up to the house she found herself on her back, distracted by the headlights.

"That's not fair." She whined. Relaxing into the cold ground.

"Pay attention to your surroundings." He told her as he had a million times. That was her biggest weakness. She was aware of everything yet she still managed to trip over her own feet and other objects. She had learned quickly to block out any memories in her mind as Raleigh had showed her how to do but she had taken it one step further through her meditation.

"Yea yea. I know." She groaned as he got off her and offered his hand down to her. She accepted the help and brushed herself off. Now that they had stopped sparring she could feel how cold it really was. A violent shiver ran down her spine and she bolted for the front door. Raleigh followed her laughing. "I'm going to get ready. What do I need to wear?" She asked timidly as she stood on the bottom step.

"Dress warm but comfortable." He told her. She gave a him a questioning look before remembering that they were going to be eating dinner outside. She ascended the stairs and entered their room beginning the long process of getting ready.

First thing in order was showering. She had to get all the dirt and grime off of her body before she could even remotely think about hair and makeup. Once she was done and had successfully fogged up the mirror, she wrapped a towel around herself and went to her closet for clothes. The first thing she pulled out was a matching pair of under garments. It bugged her to no end when her underwear and bra didn't match. After that she examined her closet for a shirt to wear. She'd match her bottoms after. Her eyes quickly found a familiar sweater. She had been wearing it the day Raleigh had crashed on the beach near her house. The day after it had been covered in blood but with _**a lot**_ of stain remover she had managed to restore the sweater to it original color. She smiled and threw it on the bed. Looking back to her closet she quickly found a pair of black legging pants to match. She'd figure out shoes later.

The second thing she needed to do was her hair and minimal makeup. Once she was dressed and the bathroom mirror was clear of steam she got to work drying her hair so it would lay straight instead of all over the place. It took her nearly forty five minutes to get her hair the way she wanted it and by then she was too fed up with it to worry about makeup too much. So she kept it simple. Mascara and a thin line of black eyeliner.

She finished and looked at the time, seeing that Raleigh had just enough time to shower real quick and get dressed. Her feet thunked down the stairs in her heavy snow boots and the boys heard her coming. When she turned the corner into the kitchen area she was surprised to see that Raleigh was already showered and dressed, holding a bouquet of roses. The blush that suddenly rushed to her cheeks rivaled the red of the roses. Raleigh smiled at her as she approached.

"One for each month you kept me alive." He told her when she leaned down to smell them.

"That's too sweet Raleigh. Who knew you were such a softie." She teased, trying to keep herself from crying tears of joy. She had dreamed about this so many times before and now that it was here she didn't know what to do with herself.

"Well I guess the cat's out of the bag now." He remarked, earning a chuckle from her. She shook her head as she gently took the flowers from him too put in a vase. She didn't have anything fancy but the small glass she found was perfect. "Ready to go?" He asked her as she set them down on the table.

"Yes. I just need to grab my coat." She replied, heading towards the door.

"Is that the same sweater you were wearing when you found me?" He inquired.

"You have a good memory. I'm surprised you remember. You were kind of out of it." She told him.

"I remember flashes." He told her. She nodded her head as then walked out the front door.

"Where are we headed?" She asked as he opened the door to the truck for her.

"You'll see." He smirked at her and closed the door. She watched him run around the front of the truck and she smiled to herself. It had been a long time since she had felt butterflies in her stomach. He gave her those foreign butterflies.

He jumped into the cab and took off down the road. The radio was off due to the lack of stations. All they got was static when they turned it on. Out of nowhere she felt his hand reach over and take hers. She looked down at their hands and blushed. She could see him looking at her from the corner of her eye but she refused to meet his gaze as the blush in her cheeks continued to grow darker. A year ago, this was the last thing on her mind. Starting a relationship. There was too much chaos going on around her with all the Kaiju attacks. She was scared to lose another loved one, but what was she supposed to do? Sit around and wait to die or live her life to the fullest instead of living in fear? With Raleigh she found her fears ebbing away, with him she wanted to live in the moment and enjoy everything she could. Neither of them knew what the future held but to her that was finally starting to be okay because she wouldn't be alone. She couldn't face the unknown by herself but with him by her side she wasn't afraid to face the unknown dead on.

She was pulled from her thoughts as the drivers side door slammed shut. As if waking from a dream she looked around at where they were at and realized she had zoned out for the entire car ride. They were on the beach and in front of the truck was a candle lit picnic. The door on her side opened and she almost asked how the candles were staying lit when she realized they were battery operated. So without saying anything she took the hand that Raleigh was offering her and got out of the truck. He closed the door behind her and lead her over to the picnic.

"What do you think?" He asked her, as they sat down.

"I'll let you know when I find the words." She told him softly. He smiled at her and got to work unpacking the basket. There wasn't much but what he brought was enough to satisfy her hunger. They ate in silence. It was a comfortable silence. She found herself staring out at the waves, thinking about her childhood.

"I've always found the beach calming." She said randomly, not taking her eyes off the water.

"That's agreeable. I used to sit on the edge of the shatterdome and just stare off into the distance." He told her.

"I lived in a beach house on the coast of California and every night I would fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing up on the shore." She explained, with a smile on her face. "I think what I miss the most is the surfing. My dad and I would go surfing every weekend."

"I never got to learn how to surf, though I wanted to." Raleigh said.

"Too bad the waters of Alaska aren't warm enough. I would have loved to teach you." She said, finally meeting his gaze and immediately getting lost.

"It's too bad." He repeated. She wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss him, but the moment didn't feel right. It felt pushed. So she leaned away and looked back out at the ocean.

"Do you ever wonder what happened to your Jaeger?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Nah...PPCD probably had her picked up and harvested for parts to build another better jaeger." He explained to her. She nodded her head in response and couldn't help but wonder if they really did tear it down. From what she had seen on TV before the incident _Gipsy Danger_ had been a beautiful machine and she couldn't imagine them tearing her apart just for parts.

"Before my family died, I wanted to be a pilot but we moved to Canada thinking it would get us out of the hot zone. Unfortunately I never got the chance because Canada was attacked and I was left on my own to find a way back to the states." She told him, looking down at her hands, as images of her family flashed through her head.

"I joined because my family died and my brother and I had nothing left. My younger sister disappeared and I haven't seen or heard from her since our parents died." He explained. "Joining was probably the best and yet worst thing I could have done but I couldn't imagine not making that decision."

"I can imagine. I don't know where I would be or if I would even have a drift partner if I had actually made it back to the states for pilot training." She thought out loud.

"We would probably be drift compatible." He said and she looked at him with a questioning look on her face.

"Really? You think our bond is that strong?" She inquired.

"Yes i do. I know we are physically compatible because I'm the one who taught you how to fight and over this past year, you have gotten to know me better than anyone I know, besides Yancy." He explained to her.

"Well too bad I'm not a pilot." She laughed.

"On to happier things!" He exclaimed, jumping up from the ground. Startled by his sudden change in mood and energy level she could only sit there and watch him race to the truck and pull the drivers side door open. She had no idea what he was up to but when the lights turned on and blinded her she vaguely heard an apology come from the cab. She laughed at him. She'd never seen him so excited about something before. Then she heard it, the faint sound of music coming from the cab of the was quiet at first but then the music changed and grew louder. She recognized the guitar intro instantly and she had to fight back the tears that suddenly rushed to her eyes. Raleigh came back over to her and put his hand out for her.

"Dance with me?" He asked. She didn't have to be asked twice as she reached up and took his hand. He pulled her close and she couldn't help but smile. He wrapped his one arm around her waist as the other took her hand in his. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and rested her chin next to her hand. Pure bliss washed over her as they swayed back and forth in the sand.

"I haven't been this happy in a long time." She whispered, feeling the tears running down her cheeks. They were happy tears for once.

"Me either Ana." He pulled away just enough to look at her as he spoke and held her gaze. She smiled and leaned in slightly. He met her halfway and they kissed. Before Raleigh she couldn't remember ever being kissed and she was a little scared to admit that he had been her first proper kiss. After the Kaiju attacks she had closed her heart to anyone and everything except George and Billy until now. Raleigh had changed that for her and she wanted nothing more than to drown in the feelings he gave her. She was scared but it was a good kind of scared.

They had stopped dancing and Raleigh's one hand had found her hip while the other had reached up to cup her cheek. Having no experience in this she followed her instincts, wrapping her arms around his neck and playing with the short hairs at the base of his neck. By the time the song ended she could say that she was weak in the knees and she didn't want to move. The moment was too perfect and she didn't want it to end. Raleigh seemed to have the same frame of mind. When the song ended they continued to stand there in each other's embrace, letting the world and time pass by.

" _And should this be the last thing I see_

 _I want you to know it's enough for me_

 _'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_

 _I'm so in love, so in love_

 _So in love, love, love, love,_

 _So in love_

 _You look so wonderful in your dress_

 _I loved your hair like that_

 _And in the moment I knew you, Beth" - 'Tenerife Sea ' by Ed Sheeran_

 **TADA! Ok I really hope you guys liked this chapter! Took me forever to figure out how to write this chapter and even end it. I hope this ending wasn't too weird. Let me know what you think. If you guys want something to happen leave me a comment or send me a message! I am all for suggestions! Suggestion = shout outs! Love you guys! HAPPY 2016!**


	9. Chapter 9

Ok so I have been struggling with writing the between story so for your benefit here is some of the movie verse and I will go back and do flashbacks of the their five years together or I will just add new chapters.

Enjoy.

January 1st 2025

3:00pm

She had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the familiar slam of the truck door out front. She couldn't help but smile knowing that Raleigh had just gotten home early from his shift. It had been five years since the day he crashed Gypsy Danger on the shores of Anchorage, Alaska. They had moved around a lot, following the construction of the wall and the were finally back in Alaska; Sitka to be specific. She was quick to change into her clothes and throw her hair up into a wet bun. Being too eager to see him with good news she ran down the stairs in only her sports bra and a pair of his boxers that had been laying around in their room. Her feet padded down the carpeted stairs and she was thankful that they weren't wood or she would have fallen to her death on her wet feet.

"Hey Leigh! You're back early." She called as she heard the front door open. As he came into view she suddenly regretted what she was wearing. Next to him was a tall man. He looked like he was from the military and she wondered if this was about the Jaeger program that was getting shut down. She had heard it at the hospital during her evening shift. "And you brought company." She crossed her arms over her chest as if to hide herself but it did no good. Raleigh being the gentlemen got to her in two strides as he shucked off his jacket and and wrapped it around her shoulders. She gave him an appreciative smile and he simply smirked in return.

"Ana this is Stacker Pentecost." Raleigh introduced, turning around and placing an arm over her shoulders. " Marshall I'd like you to meet my wife, Analia."

"Pleasure to meet you sir." She put her hand out to shake the man's hand but he didn't take it and she suddenly felt awkward for even trying.

"Likewise." Pentecost replied stiffly. They stood there for an awkward moment before he spoke up again."I'll give you two a moment." The man walked back out of the house and stood on the front porch his back to them.

"Raleigh Becket what is going on?" She demanded, stepping away from him.

"I've been called to action again." He told her, rubbing the back of his neck. She stood there for a moment in shock. She didn't know whether to be happy for him or angry at the man standing on their front porch for asking him to go back to something that brought up a lot of bad memories.

"As a Jäger pilot? You can't be serious!" She exclaimed, not knowing what else to do.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life on the wall Ana. I would rather die fighting in a Jäger than working on the wall." Raleigh to her honestly. He seemed unsure of what to do but she knew one thing about Raleigh, there wasn't a chance that he wasn't going to sit back and do nothing if offered a chance to stand up and fight. She took a step towards him and reached up to cup his cheek.

"Are you sure you are ready for this?" She asked softly, looking up at him to meet his gaze. For a moment he avoided her eyes and simply leaned into her touch before finally sighing and opening his eyes.

"No. I'm not sure I'm ready for this but I'm the only one they have left who can pilot a Mark III Jaeger." He told her. She could see the pain in his eyes and the memories that were beginning to surface again.

"You don't have a co-pilot." She pointed out.

"They will assign me one." He explained. She knew then there was nothing she could do to keep him from saying goodbye. The thought of being on her own again scared her and she could feel the tears beginning to pool in her eyes.

"What about Ezra? What am I supposed to tell him? You're all we have, Raleigh." She whispered. She could feel her heart beginning to race at the thought that he would be leaving her to go save the world. It was a noble cause but she was selfish and she wanted him to stay with her. To stay with their son. Seeing her distress he brought both of his hand up to gently cup her face.

"Would you come with me if you could? Would you bring Ezra into this willingly?" He asks and all she can do is nod in response. He holds up a finger and walks out to the Pentecost who turns and faces Raleigh. She watches them carefully, desperate trying to read their lips or hear what they were saying but Raleigh was speaking too fast and too quiet for her to do either. She sees Pentecost standing there thinking about it as Raleigh gestures to her and explains why he wants her to come. After a moment Pentecost's mouth moves and she is able to make out what he says.

"On one condition Gipsy Danger comes first." Pentecost says holding up a finger. "I don't want her getting in the way of this mission Becket."

"Understood sir." Raleigh says loud enough for her to hear. And suddenly she realizes that Pentecost doesn't know that they have a son. She smirks to herself as Raleigh turns towards her with a smile on his face.

"Go pack a bag. I'll be up in a minute to help." He hollers from the porch. She doesn't even know if she said anything back but she bolted up the stairs and found their duffle bags that they usually traveled with.

"You didn't tell him." She says as he comes into the room.

"I know. Sorry. He'll just have to deal with it because I'm the only one left who can pilot a Mark III Jaeger." He explains to her.

"Are we making the right choice? Exposing him to this?" She asks halting in her packing.

"I hope so. You trust me right?" He replies walking over to her and holding her face in his hands.

"With our lives. You've protected us this far. If this really is the end I don't want to anywhere without you." She tells him before leaning up and placing a kiss on his lips. He responds to her immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close.

"Where would I be without you?" He murmurs pulling away from her. She simply hums in response and he chuckles. "Come on let's finish packing."

Within an hour they have what little belongings they had packed. The next step was getting Ezra ready. He was asleep in a separate room and when she woke him up she was glad that he fell asleep on her shoulder once she had him in her arms. They walked downstairs and Pentecost fixed Raleigh with a look of shock that quickly turned passive, though she could see the anger hidden in the depths of his dark eyes. She couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed for being who she was in that moment. The look Pentecost was giving her made her feel like she didn't deserve Raleigh but she knew that the man's look was just his surprise. He obviously hadn't expected Raleigh to settle down. She caught the man's eyes and as she stared at him she could see the anger turn to guilt. She gave him an appreciative smile and walked passed him towards his truck. She got into the back, holding Ezra close and soon they were driving to the nearest helipad to fly to the nearest airplane where they could catch a plane to Hong Kong.


	10. Chapter 10

January 2nd 2025

6:00pm

The trip to Hong Kong was as exciting as one would expect with a two year old passenger. Ezra was excited for the first twenty minutes of flying over the ocean before he became bored and sat back in his seat with a frown on his face. The pout was adorable and Analia had a hard time ignoring it. She met Raleigh's gaze beside her and he gave her a loving smile. He reached over and laced their fingers together. With a sigh she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. A few moments later she felt Ezra curl up in the seat and rest his head in her lap. She put her arm over him and rubbed her thumb on his arm to help soothe him. Before too long she was drifting to sleep.

She woke later on in the flight to Raleigh moving around a bit. She sat upright and looked around momentarily. First her eyes caught the fact that her son was still asleep on her lap and then she saw Raleigh looking at her.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked him as she yawned.

"About twelve hours." He replied, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Did you sleep at all?" She inquired.

"I just woke up as well." He told her with a smile

"How much longer?"

"Two hours Mrs. Becket." Pentecost suddenly spoke up, causing her to jump slightly. She quickly looked down to make sure her jolt hadn't cause Ezra to wake and she was thankful he was such a heavy sleeper like his father.

"Thank you sir." She replied. He gave her a nod and as he looked out the window again she caught the smirk that had barely lifted the corner of his mouth.

"I think he likes me." She leaned over and whispered to Raleigh who looked at Pentecost and chuckled.

"You called him sir, yet you are not a pilot. I think he is more amused than anything." Raleigh responded.

"So he doesn't like me?" She asked with a smirk.

"Don't get your hopes up sweetheart." He whispered back and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Whatever you say smart ass." She rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye and soon she was waking up Ezra so he could get a good look at the Shatterdome. It took her a few minutes but once she knew he was awake she told him they were arriving and he jumped up and pressed his face against the glass. She chuckled and got close enough to see out the window as well. From where they were she could see six bay doors where the Jaegers were deployed. Above that was the helipad where people were also just arriving and getting equipment inside.

The landing was a bit rough but once they had landed she took a deep breath. She had never liked drops. Ezra was a bundle of energy and when she picked him up he fussed for a few moment until she explained why he couldn't all around on his own. As she exited the Helicopter she realized it was raining and with a puff she quickly shuffled to Raleigh's side where Pentecost was introducing him to a young japanese woman.

"Mr. Becket, this is Mako Mori. One of my brightest, also in charge of the Mark 3 restoration program. She personally handpicked your co-pilot candidates." She hears Pentecost say and she feels a bit left out as he doesn't introduce her but she wasn't really important in this environment. Mako spoke quickly in a different language but what surprised her was when he husband replied back in fluent Japanese. She looked at him with wide eyes. She had known him for over five years and the fact that he spoke another language had never come up in conversation.

"Who is this?" Mako asks, her eyes fix on the little boy in her arms. Analia surprisingly doesn't feel threatened by Mako. Usually when other women looked at Ezra she got this overwhelming urge to keep her son as far away from them as with Mako she felt that at ease. It was as if she knew Mako would never hurt her son or take him away from her.

"Ms. Mori, this is my wife Analia and our son Ezra." Raleigh introduces, placing an arm around her shoulder and giving her a kiss on her temple. Not sure what to say she just bows her head in greeting.

"You'll get the tour of the facility first and then Miss Mori will show you to your Jaeger, Mr. Becket." Pentecost announced as they walked out of the Raina bed into an elevator with large cylinders filled with yellow liquid to keep what looked like Kaiju body parts intact. She got close to one of the containers to get a better look at what was inside when two voices startled her.

"Wait for us!" "Hold the door, please!" She quickly moved out of the way as two men rushed into the elevator, shaking off the rain. She continued to back up until she bumped into Raleighs chest. His hands find her hips and she looks up at him to see an amused look.

"Stand back, Kaiju specimens are extremely rare, so look but don't touch, please." The younger man of the two spoke. Taking off his leather jacket and rolling up his sleeves, revealing tattoos on both his wrists of two different Kaiju. She raised an eyebrow at his choice but said nothing.

"Mr. Becket, this is our research team. Dr. Gottlieb, Dr. Geiszler." Pentecost introduced.

"Call me Newt. Only my mother calls me doctor." The younger one spoke again before turning to his colleague. "Hermann, these are human beings. Why don't you say hello?" She snorted but quickly quieted her laughter when Newton looked her way with a smirk on his face.

"I have asked you not to refer to me by my first name in front of others. I have more than 10 years..." The older one sneered and she gathered that he was a realist. He prefer things proper and organized and she instantly knew that Newton was more of a go with the flow kind of guy.

"I'm sorry." Newton apologized sarcastically.

"Please." Hermann scoffed.

"What is that, Yamarashi?" Raleigh asked pointing at the tattoo on Newton's arm.

"This little Kaiju? Yeah, you got a good eye." Newton replied and she felt Raleigh stiffen behind her, his hands gripped her hips just a littler hard.

"My brother and I took him down in 2017." Raleigh replied. She didn't have to see his face to know his jaw was clenched.

"You know he was one of the biggest Category 3's ever? He was two thousand five hundred tons of awesome." As soon as the scientist had spoken, Raleighs fingers clamped down on her hip painfully hard and she fought to keep the grimace off of her face. There was a pause and she could feel the cold glare going cover her head. She places a hand over his and he instantly releases his grip on her hips.

"Don't listen to him." She says, looking up at her husband.

"Or awful, you know, whatever you wanna call it." Newton quickly corrected and she gave him a shake of her head, signaling for him to just shut up.

"Please, excuse him. He's a Kaiju groupie, he loves them." The other doctor said, also glaring at his partner.

"Shut up, Hermann. I don't love them, okay? I study them. And unlike most people, I wanna see one live and up close one day." Newton defended and she gave him a bewildered look. She had seen one up close or at least as close as a civilian could be without trying and it had been terrifying.

"Trust me, you don't want to." Raleigh bit out. Moments later the elevator opened and let the doctors out leaving the five of them in the small space. "So that's your research division?"

"Things have changed. We're not an army anymore, Mr. Becket. We're the resistance. Welcome to the Shatterdome." Pentecost replied as the elevator opened once again to reveal the main hangar. They walk into the large room, earning plenty of stares from the people milling about.

"Wow. This is incredible." She gasps, shifting Ezra to her other hip gently seeing as he ad fallen back to sleep in the looks down at her and smiles. He turns around and she follows his gaze as he spots a clock that was counting up from 14 hours.

"War clock. We re-set it after every Kaiju attack, it keeps everyone focused. The frequency of attacks is accelerating." Pentecost informed them. That made her bristle. The attacks were becoming more frequent which meant there were more opportunities for her husband to be deployed with the chance of her never seeing him again.

"How long until the next re-set?" Raleigh asked.

"A week, if we're lucky. Our experts believe there will be a Kaiju attack even before that. This complex used to launch thirty Jaegers in five days, just like this one. Now we only have four Jaegers left." Pentecost replied.

"I didn't know it was this bad." She could hear the guilt in his voice. She knew that he had been hiding all the years from Pentecost. He didn't want to be a pilot anymore but when it came down to it he was the only Mark 3 pilot left and his morals went against saying no. He was here because he felt it was his duty to the world. Not because he wanted to be.

"It is that bad." Pentecost affirmed, continuing on to introduced Raleigh to the pilots of the jaeger that were in the hangar.

Each machine was unique in its own way and standing below them was intimidating. It only made her wonder what it was like to be in one. She looked at Raleigh as she thought what it would be like to pilot a jaeger with him. She knew that it meant they would mind meld. He had taught her the meditation tricks to clear her mind of any and all memories in order to drift. He had explained what it was like being in the suit and to control it. He had even drawn out a very rough sketch of the interior and what each control did. Back then it was as if he had been training her to be his pilot but at some point she realized that he didn't want to go back so it was impossible to tell why he had taught her everything he knew about the Jaegers.

"Herc! Chuck! Welcome to Hong Kong!" Pentecostal voice pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up to see two men approaching them. They looked similar but by the age difference she guessed that they were a father and son pilot duo. She sees Mako crouch down and she gives her an odd look until she sees the dog that the older man was leading.

"Max! Come here!" Mako called out to the dog as the man released the leash. The dog came running over the the woman instantly, excited to get some attention.

"Don't drool over Miss Mori." Pentecost ordered the dog who didn't exactly listen.

"He sees a pretty girl and he gets all wound up.

"Raleigh, this is Hercules Hansen, an old friend from the Mark 1 glory days." Pentecost introduces.

"I know you, mate. We rode together before." Here said as he shook her husband's hand.

"We did, sir. Six years ago, my brother and I took three Jaeger team drops." Raleigh smiles at the man.

"That's right, Manila. I'm sorry about your brother." Herc replies sincerely and she smiles at the exchange.

"Thank you, sir."

"Who is this young Lady?" Here asks looking at her for a moment she wonders why he doesn't say anything about Ezra when she realizes she is turned to the point where he can't see their child.

"Oh, this is Analia, my wife. She took care of me after..." He trails off not wanting to think about it too much. His gaze finds hers and she gives him a comforting smile.

"I still take care of you kid." She finally fully faces the new man and his eyes widen seeing the sleeping boy in her arms.

"Who are you calling kid? I'm older than you!" Raleigh exclaims.

"I already like her mate. She's a keeper. Who is this little guy?" The smile on his face makes her relax knowing the man understands her protective nature for her son. She looks at her sleeping boy and smiles

"Oh...this little bundle of joy is Ezra." She kisses the side of her sons face.

"How old is he?"

"He just turned two." She replied just encore Pentecost interjects before the conversation becomes a full fledged talk about children.

"Herc and his son Chuck will be running Striker Eureka, the fastest Jaeger in the world. First and last of the Mark 5's. Australia decommissioned it a day before the Sydney attack." Pentecost told them.

"Yeah, it was lucky we were still around." Herc breathed out and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Yep, now it's running point for us." Pentecost said and she looks over at him confused.

"Wait, running point on what? You haven't told me what we're doing here yet." Raleigh demands.

"We're going for the breach, Mr. Becket. We're gonna Sheppard two thousand four hundred pound thermonuclear warheads onto Striker's back, detonating equivalent of 1.2 million tons of TNT. And you, and two other Jaegers will be running defense with him." Pentecost explained.

"I thought we were the resistance. Where do you get something like that up here?" Raleigh asked.

"See the Russians back there? They can get us anything." Pentecost said matter of factly. A few moments pass before the Marshall sighs and heads off away from them. "Herc, shall we?"

"Good to have you back, Lieutenant." Here says as he parts Raleigh's shoulder and follows Pentecost.

"Thank you, sir."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Analia." Herc says to her and she inclines her head in acknowledgement. Miss Moro began to say something but before she could get two words out Raleigh interrupted.

"Miss Mori, will you give me a minute?" Raleigh says before running off after Pentecost.

She stands there with Mako for a few moments in silence as Raleigh speaks to Pentecost about something. From this distance she couldn't hear not read his lips so she just opted for looking around the hangar. There were a lot of people passing by and each one gave her an odd look. She couldn't blame them though. She was holding a two year old. She had no business in the Shatterdome. She was a civilian, a medic, not a Jaeger pilot or technician. She felt out of place but it wasn't a feeling she was unfamiliar with. She just had to act as if she belonged.

"So you found him after the crash?" Mako asked.

"No...a family friend did. I was a part time nurse at the time so they brought him back to house where I stitched him up and took care of him." She explained as she continued to look around. As she finished speaking she met Mako's gaze.

"He is very lucky to have you." Mako said. In her eyes Ana could see the sadness and slight jealousy. She knew it was just jealousy that she had found someone and had even had a child with him.

"Indeed." She mused, watching her husband. "He probably wouldn't be here without my help."

"Do you know what happened?" Mako inquired.

"Every detail." She doesn't elaborate and they fall into a slightly uncomfortable silence. She liked Mako but she was sensing that the Japanese girl was a bit nosy. Though she couldn't blame her. She would be curious about the pilot that had gone missing for five years too. Not soon enough Raleigh came back and she smiled at him. The look he gave her told her he would explain later.

"Shall we?"


	11. Chapter 11

January 2nd 2025

8:00pm

They walked close behind Mako as they led her to where Raleigh's newly restored Jaeger was waiting. She could feel the pep in his step and it made her giggle. He gave her an odd look and she just shook her head. He smiled at her and slung an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. His warmth washed over her and she reveled in the protected feeling he gave her. She was much shorter than he was and when he place his arm around her it gave her a sense of comfort like nothing else could.

The sound of machinery caught her attention and she looked up. There in front of her she could barely see the Jaeger her husband was to pilot and it took her breath away. She had always wanted to see a Jaeger up close and at one point she had aspired to be a pilot but circumstances had forced her to give up on that dream.

"There she is." Mako said as they reached open area. She looked up and whistled.

"Oh, my God. Look at her. Gipsy Danger. God, it's so beautiful. She looks like new." Raleigh breathed. She looked up at her husband and smiled fondly. He was finally in his element. She had never seen him this at home and it was a nice change.

"Better than new, she has a double core nuclear reactor. She's one of a kind now." Mako explained.

"She always was." Raleigh replied before turning to her. "What do you think of her?"

"She's beautiful." She replied, completely at a loss for words. She grinned at him as she shifted Ezra on to her other hip. He was a big two year old and his weight was starting to catch up to her. The hip he had been resting on popped in protest and she closed her eyes to let the pain pass.

"How do you like the ride, Becket boy? Solid iron hull, no alloys. Forty acres of blades muscle span and a new fluid synam system." They turned around to find a man with interesting taste approaching them. His black hair was slicked back and he was wearing a rather ostentatious bow tie.

"Tendo!"Raleigh exclaimed, striding forward to embrace his old friend. "Good to see you, buddy

"It's good to see you too, brother. It's just like old times." Tendo replied and she sees his eyes flick over Raleigh shoulder and then back. "Who is this beautiful young lady?"

"Tendo meet Analia." Raleigh introduced. She looked over at the man, and smiled.

"Pleasure to meet you miss." Tendo greeted, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on her knuckles. She looked over at Raleigh with a look of disbelief that he simply shrugged off.

"Likewise." She replied, putting her hand back to where it had been cradling her baby boy.

"How did you two meet?" Tendo asked.

"She saved my life after the incident." Raleigh explained wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze. "She's been following me around ever since."

"More like taking care of you. Someone had to make sure you were actually taking care of yourself." She quipps, jabbing him in the side with her index finger.

"Well I thank you for keeping him alive." Temdo said gratefully. She inclined her head in response, before turning to look at the boy in her arms as he shifted.

"She's done more than that." Raleigh said quietly, ruffling their boys hair, effectively waking him up.

"Well done love. Now he's going to be cranky." She chastised with a sigh before switching Ezra to her other hip again.

"Sorry." He apologized, placing a kiss on her forehead and taking the boy from her, seeing her struggle.

"This little guy here is Ezra. He can sleep positively anywhere." She told Tendo, looking at her boys fondly.

"This is a pleasant surprise Raleigh. You're married and already have a kid. Congrats." Tendo clapped Raleigh on the shoulder in congratulations and she had to chuckle.

"She's been my life since the crash. And he has only made it better." Raleigh explained.

"You're one of the lucky ones. I'll catch you later." Tendo said, walking away from them.

"This is your room. I apologize for not having a bigger one ready for your arrival. Pentecost did not mention Raleigh bringing family." Mako apologized as she opened the door for them. Raleigh walked into the room and placed Ezra on the bed, who was fully awake now and looking around curiously.

"That's alright. The three of us will manage." She told Mako, sitting down beside her son.

"So what's your story? Restoring old Jaegers, showing has-beens like me around, that can't be it. You a pilot?" Raleigh asked Mako, setting their bags on the bed. She opened it up and pulled out the first thing she saw. It was all of their pictures. She shuffled through them, listening to the two of them talk.

"No, not yet. But I want to be one, more than anything." Mako replied.

"What's your simulator score?" Raleigh asked.

"Fifty one drops, fifty-one kills." Mako said bashfully.

"Wow, that's amazing. But you're not one of the candidates tomorrow?" Raleigh asked, impressed. She didn't really understand what they were talking about but she could guess that whatever it was that the score was really good.

"I'm not, but Marshall has his reasons." Mako explained. Ana could tell from the look in her eyes and the way she slightly cringed away from the topic that Mako didn't really like talking about it.

"Yeah, he always does, doesn't he? But with fifty-one kills I can't imagine what they could be." Raleigh said, walking over to her and looking at the pictures in her hands.

"I hope you approve all my choices. I've studied your fighting techniques and strategy, even, Alaska." Mako told him.

"What do you think?" He asked, looking up at Mako.

"I think you're unpredictable. You have a habit of deviating from standard combat techniques, you take risks that injure yourself and your crew. I don't think you're the right man for this mission." Ana had to look up from the pictures in her hands to look between her husband and Mako. To her surprise there wasn't any anger in his eyes, just sadness. This had always been a touchy subject for him. He knew that he was reckless and for five long years he had beat himself up, thinking his recklessness had been what cause Yancy's death.

"Well, thank you for your honesty. You might be right. But one day when you're a pilot you're gonna see that in combat you'll make decisions, you have to live the consequences. That's what I'm trying to do." Mako nodded at his response and left them to get settled. Without closing the door Raleigh pulled his shirt off to get changed out of his old construction worker clothes and into something cleaner. Across the hall she caught a glimpse of Mako entering her own room. Mako turned to close her door and stopped in her tracks. Ana followed her gaze and saw that because her husband had no shirt on, his scars from the crash were in plain sight. She cleared her throat, catching Raleigh's attention. She gestured with her eyes and he turned around, catching Mako staring at him. Their brief eye contact was enough to make Mako quickly close the door to her room. Raleigh chuckles and closes the door to their own room.

"That was interesting." She said from beside their little boy, running her hands through his hair. She looked her husband over and could see the lag in the way he walked. He was exhausted, though he was trying his hardest not to show it. "You should get some rest."

"I'm not tired." He protested.

"I did say rest, not sleep." She quipped, earning a glare as he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Come here." She sat up and patted the bed. Reluctantly, he sat down and she moved so she could kneel behind him to massage his shoulders. The longer she massaged the further his head fell forward in relaxation. "Are you alright?"

"I will be. Being here brings back a lot of old memories." He replied softly.

"It reminds you of him." She stated, not really needing an answer from him. He nodded just the same, confirming her suspicions. "At least you have us."

"I don't know where I would be if it weren't for you." He sighed, reaching up to take her hand in his.

"Probably in a ditch somewhere." She teased, kissing his cheek.

"Oh really?" He turned on her suddenly with a devilish smile on his face.

"Don't you dare." She warned, but it was too late. He pounced on her, attacking her sides with his fingers. Her shrieks of laughter mixed with her sons as he joined in the attack on his mother echo through the small room and into the hallway. Outside of the small room people walked by looking at the door with a mixture of confusion and amusement.


	12. Chapter 12

January 3rd 2025

10:00am

The next morning they found themselves walking into the mess hall. Raleigh had an arm around her shoulders, holding her protectively close. She had tried to carry Ezra but he had thrown a fit when she had picked him up, insisting that he be put down. Being the mother she was she had set him down and told him that he had to hold her hand. They were quite the sight. An re-recruited pilot, with his arm around his wife as she held their sons hand. The mess hall was crowded with workers and the other pilots and all eyes were on them. She looked at Raleigh for what to do and he shrugged at her as they got in line to get trays of food.

"Raleigh, Ana come sit with us." Herc Hansen called from across the room as they got their trays. He had seen that they were looking for someone to sit.

"No, we're okay. Thank you." Raleigh tried to reject the offer but she elbowed him in the ribs gently, earning a slight scowl from her husband.

"Oh, come on, there's plenty of room at our table." Herc insisted and she smirked at her husband as he was led towards the table. At the table were some workers along with another young man who looked like a younger version of Herc.

"I haven't seen bread in a while." Raleigh said, smirking as he looks over at her as she stuffed her second piece of bread in her mouth. Catching his gaze she slows down to a nibble, a blush on her cheeks. She shakes her head in embarrassment and turns to check on their son as he chuckles at her.

"Hong Kong. Beauty of an open port, no rations. Potatoes, beans, sweet peas, decent meatloaf." Herc explained, she liked the sound of it. They had been surviving on soup in the evenings and eggs in the morning, when they could find some. "Can you pass the potatoes." Herc asked the man sitting next to him who passed a huge bowl of potatoes down to him.

"Who is this?" She asked, gesturing to Herc's look-a-like. The younger man looked at her with a slight look of disdain, as if she should know who he was.

"Raleigh, Ana this is my son Chuck. He's my co-pilot now." Herc introduced and she nodded her head. Having called it she smirked to herself in triumph.

"He's more my co-pilot. Right, dad?" Chuck said to his father. She scoffed to herself realizing that this guy thought he was better than everyone else. "So, you're the guy, huh? You're the guy who's gonna run defense for me in that old rust bucket of yours?"

"That's the plan." Raleigh replied, a little miffed by Chucks statement.

"Good. So, when was the last time you drifted, man?" Chuck asked. She could see where this was going. He was being a jackass.

"About five years ago." Raleigh told him with a tight jaw.

"What have you been doing for five years?" Chuck asks, looking over at her, and checking her out without shame. She gives him a look of disgust and he smirks at her. She had to resist the urge to put her middle finger up at him. "Something pretty important I reckon." His gaze returned to Raleigh's glare, not missing what Chuck had just done.

"I was in construction." Raleigh replied and she could tell he was struggling to keep from punching the guy.

"Oh, that's great. I mean, that's really useful. You know, we get into a fight you can build our way out of there, hey, Ray?" Chuck retorted.

"It's Raleigh. Chuckie." She glares at him and he just fixes her with an equally ugly glare.

"Whatever. Look, you're Pentecost's bright idea. My old man, he seems to like you, but it's guys like you who brought down the Jaeger program. To me, you're dead weight." Chuck stood up and put his hat on.

"Excuse me?" She looks up from her son and stares at the young man who was dissing on her husband. Raleigh, puts a hand on her thigh to keep her from shooting up out of her seat.

"You slow me down, I'm gonna drop you like a sack of Kaiju shit." Chuck threatened.

"Language please." She hisses looking down at Ezra. Chuck just smirks at her. She looks at Raleigh, sees his jaw clenched and places a hand on his thigh to help calm him. He reaches down and takes her hand. Chuck gives Raleigh a mocking wink.

"I'll see you around, Raleigh." Chuck says walking away and calling to his dog.

"What an..." She stops for a moment to cover her sons ears before she curses. "...ass." She finishes, removing her hand from over his ears.

"I'd give a wide berth with that one. I raised him on me own, he's a smart kid, but I never knew whether to give him a hug or a kick in the ass." Herc apologized.

"With respect, sir, I'm pretty sure which one he needs." Raleigh retorted.

"Raleigh..." she chastises and he sighs.

"I'll catch you later." He stands from his spot beside her and gives her a chaste kiss before walking out of the mess hall. She watched him until he was out of her sight before turning back to the table.

"I'm sorry about that." Herc apologized once again.

"Don't worry about. Raleigh is very sensitive about all of this Jaeger stuff. It brings up a lot of memories for him." She explains, handing her son a roll that he had been reaching for.

"How long have you two been together?" Herc asks, changing the subject.

"We've been married for almost a year and a half. We were together on a off before that though." She explains, not wanting to go into detail about it. They weren't the perfect couple. They had had their up and downs but she tried not to dwell on the past. Her goal was to stay in the here and now and enjoy the moments that could pass her by.

"Are you going to watch the tryouts?" Herc asks her. and she looked up, confused.

"Tryouts?" She asks him.

"Raleigh needs a new co-pilot so they are going to test him against the other candidates." Herc explains and she nods her head in understanding.

"That must be where he just ran off to." She says to herself, but Herc catches it.

"I'm sure if you go now. you could watch the last part of it." Herc tells her.

"Ok. I don't know where to go though." She admits.

"I'll take you there." Herc offers. She gives him an appreciative smile and follows him, with Ezra trying to keep up with the pace.

When they got their she could see there was a crowd of people that were watching. Unfortunately due to her short demeanor she couldn't see over the people but with the help of Herc he managed to get her to the front. Raleigh was in the center, beating the candidates with a bow staff. She could see Pentecost and Mako behind Raleigh, watching him with critical eyes. Ezra saw his father and tried to run out to him but she had to hold him back and sweep him up into her arms as the candidate he was fighting hit the mat hard.

"Four points to zero." Mako calls out the score and the candidate walked away from the mat.

"Wha daddy doin mommy?" Ezra asks fussing in her arms.

"Daddy is playing with a friend...very roughly." She whispers the last part to herself, wincing as his opponent hit the mat again violently. As she stood there and watched she could tell that Pentecost was getting a little annoyed with the fact that none of the candidates seemed to be compatible with him. They made eye contact and he squinted his eyes at her, evaluating.

"Four points to one." Mako calls out again. The next candidate come up and Raleigh beats him just as fast as the others, if not faster. Once the match is done he stops and looks over at his judges and sees that they keep looking at him disapprovingly so he walks over.

"Okay, what? You don't like them? I thought you selected them personally." He says to Mako and she sees the girl bristle at his tone.

"Excuse me?" The asian woman asks, clearly offended.

"Every time a match ends, you make this little...gesture. Like you're critical of their performance." He states.

"It's not their performance, it's yours, you jam it. You could have taken all of them two moves earlier." Mako tells him matter of factly and she couldn't disagree with the statement. She had been sparring with him for years and he was going easy on the cadets.

"You think so?" Raleigh challenges.

"I know so." Mako replies confidently.

"Can we change this up? All of this feels too stiff for my liking. How about some familiarity?" Raleigh asks Pentecost. He turns around and looks at her before raising a finger and pointing at her. "How about you let me go one round with her?" She looks at him in shock. There was no way she would ever be allowed in a Jaeger. She had never been in one and all she knew about it was what raleigh had taught her.

"No. Stick to the cadet list we have, Ranger. She has no Jager experience or training." Pentecost says firmly.

"With all do respect sir, she has." Raleigh smirks and the marshall looks over at her with a questioning look.

"To give him a sense of familiarity after the accident I allowed him to train me in combat so he could spar with someone. But you are correct in assuming that I have no Jager experience." She explains, feeling her face turn a little red with all the attention on her.

"What's the matter, Marshall? Don't want her to embarrass herself on the floor with me? One round, that is all I am asking." Raleigh challenges once again. She sees Pentecost hesitate for a brief moment before he looks over at her and nods. With a sigh she walks over and hands Ezra to Mako and gets ready to fight in combat with Raleigh.

"Four strikes markes a win." Stacker explains to her, taking her jacket and handing her a bow staff. She turned around to face her husband, a smirk on her face. They walk towards each other with equally smug looks on their faces.

"Remember, it's about compatibility. It's a dialogue, not a fight. But I'm not gonna dial down my moves." Raleigh explains to her and she rolls her eyes.

"Do you ever, love?" She mocks. She knew the drill already. He smirked at her and lunged at her, bringing his bow staff down in an arc. She didn't even flinch as it stopped not two inches from her face.

"One-zero." Raleigh tells her. She takes a different stance. Closing her eyes and focusing on her surroundings. Raleigh was pacing in front of her and as soon as he stopped she lunched at him bringing her bow staff down not two inches from his head.

"One-one." She retorted. He chuckles at her and quickly takes the next strike.

"Two-one. Concentrate." Raleigh told her. She lunges at him not bothering with focusing in on him. Their bow staffs came together many times sending loud cracks echoing through the room. In the end she took the next strike, holding her staff against his back.

"Two-two. Tired already?" She mocks. He lunges at her and they fight for even longer than before. He came close to striking her several times but each time she managed to dodge them. In the end she took the third strike. "Three-two." They commence fighting again, each one equally beating the other. Like so many time before it felt as if they were dancing. It was a well practiced routine. She was barely sweating and she could see that Raleigh was the same. In the end she managed to pin Raleigh to the floor.

"I've seen enough." Pentecost calls and she lets go of her hold on her husband. They both stand up and face the military man.

"Me too. She's my co-pilot." Raleigh says, placing his arm around her shoulder. She looks up at him in shock. She wasn't sure how she felt about this situation. They still had responsibilities as parents.

"That's not going to work." Pentecost says disapprovingly.

"Why not?" Raleigh asks, dropping his arm from her shoulders to take a step forward and argue.

"Because I said so. Mr. Becket. I've made my decision. Report to the Shatterdome in two hours and find out who your co-pilot will be." Pentecost says and walks away before Raleigh could really argue. Raleigh looks disappointed, and as they turn to leave she sees Chuck giving them a mocking smile. The crowd dispersed and she leaves with Raleigh; Ezra fussing in her arms.

"That's too bad. You would have made an amazing co-pilot." Raleigh tells her, kissing the side of her head as they walked back to their room.

"Why did you have to do that?" She asks, a little peeved.

"None of the other candidates were working. I needed someone I know I can fight well with." He explains. She knew he was just trying to show his superior that he hadn't gone soft, but it had put her on the spot.

"I don't care about that. What I do care about is why you want me to be your co-pilot. I have never stepped into a Jager before and all of a sudden you want me to pilot one with you?" She exclaims as they reach the door to their room. He stops walking and looks at her a little confused.

"I don't want to let a complete stranger into my head Ana. I can't do it, you know that. I trust you more than I trust any of those candidates." He tells her and suddenly she feels like an ass for even chastising him about it. She should have known.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out then." She says semi half heartedly as he turns and opens the door. Suddenly she's overly aware of the child in her arms, thinking about being a pilot and what would happen if they were to both die. What would happen to her son? She would never forgive herself if something to happen to one or both of them on a mission if she did become his co-pilot. For now she didn't have to worry about it.


	13. Chapter 13

January 3rd 2025

12:00pm

They were in their room waiting for the clock to tell Raleigh it was time to leave for his test run with the new and improved Gipsy. She was on the bed lying beside their son, running her hands through his hair as he slept. Raleigh turns, looking at a photo on the wall of himself and Yancy. Beside it is a picture of her and Raleigh holding Ezra. Over the Com system she hears that the trial run is to begin in twenty minutes and Raleigh sits on the bed beside her.

"Good luck, love." She says leaning up to peck him on the lips.

"I'll see you afterwards." He tells her, placing a longing kiss on her forehead before he leaves their room for his neural test. She lays back on the bed, closing her eyes. Five years ago if someone had asked her where she thought she would be married with a child in the future she would have laughed in their face. However, she couldn't see her life happening any other way. Being at the shatterdome made her realize that she was apart of something more, like she had always wanted to be. When she was younger she had wished to enter into the Jaeger academy but those dreams had been crushed while she had been moving back from Canada on her own. Certain events had left her unfit for combat. She realized now that she didn't have to be in a Jaeger to save people. All she had to do was make sure her husband stayed alive and many lives would be spared.

A sudden knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts and she carefully stood from the bed. She made sure Ezra hadn't woken up before grabbing the door handle and twisting it. She pulled the door open and was surprised to see Pentecost standing there.

"May I come in, Ana?" the man asks, giving her a slight bow.

"Oh, um...sure. Ezra is just napping...as usual. I swear that kid sleeps more than his father and I do combined." She mutters under her breath, earning a chuckle from the Marshall.

"I want to apologize for yesterday. I was planning to stick to the books but after some thought I realized why he insisted it be you as his co-pilot." he explains.

"What are you saying?" She asks, giving him a weird look.

"You may want to dress a little lighter. What you're wearing won't fit under the armor." He tells her and her heart rate picks up in speed.

"You're allowing me to be his co-pilot?" She asks with wide eyes. She couldn't believe what he was hearing. He shook his head and once again she looked at him confused.

"I'm allowing you to go through the neural handshake. I want to see how well you can handle it. If you pass, then yes you will be his co-pilot, if not I have a back up."

"He will appreciate this more than you know." She smiles at him gratefully, as he heads for the open door.

"Be quick." He hums, before stepping out of the room to allow her to get changed. She is quick to pull off her shirt and replace her normal bra with a sports bra, remembering the rubber like suit that she had cut Raleigh out of the day he crashed. Next come a pair of leggings and some black knee high socks. Once she is dressed she throws on one of Raleigh's sweatshirts and gently picks up Ezra. She runs out the door and over to Mako's room, quickly exchanging words before handing the still sleeping boy to her newest friend. She places a kiss on his head and turns back around to follow Pentecost to the preparation room. On the way there he debriefs her about the Jaegers and how things work. She listens intently and she finds that there isn't much that she didn't already know from Raleigh. Her knowledge on the topic seems to impress the Marshall and when they reached preparation room she is shocked to hear him give her a good luck.

The room is like a co-ed locker room. She sees a set of armor laid out on one of the benches and she ventures over to it. She stands there for a moment staring at it like it's going to hurt her. The undersuit was easy enough to get on but when she went to put the other parts of the armor on she looked at it hoping that some machines would come out of nowhere and help her into it. Unfortunately for her nothing happened, electronically at least. From the doorway of the locker room she saw Herc Hansen standing there with an amused smile on his face.

"That is the exact same look I gave my suit the first time the academy ever showed it to us." Herc chuckles.

"Raleigh told me about everything else but his old armor was so beat up that there was no way to show me how to get into it. I know how to take it off though. I had to figure that out the hard way when we found him." She explains with an airy laugh.

"Well, my first advice is put your hair up. I've heard from female pilots that having hair caught in any of the mechanics is quite painful." She does as she's instructed and for the next ten minutes does as she is told and soon enough she finds herself standing in front of a floor length mirror starting at herself. She had to admit she looked like a badass and she couldn't wait to see Raleigh in his suit.

"Thank you for the help, Herc." She turns around as she speaks.

"Anytime. Let me know if you ever need anything." He gives her a fatherly smile. "Now, let's go find your husband. I'm sure he is anxious to find out who his new co-pilot is." He beckons her to follow him and she falls in step with him. He leads her down a few hallways and soon she can hear machinery whirring and powering up.

"You'll find him at the end of this hall. I'll be in the control room with everyone else. Good luck." She just nods in response, as her nerves begin to bubble up in her stomach. She walks down the hall and the closer she get the more she can hear and she smiles when she hears her husbands voice coming from the cockpit.

"Setting neural for task mode. Waiting for second pilot." She hears Raleigh say loudly a she approaches the cockpit. She takes in a deep breath and stretches her neck out a bit before entering. The inside is just as she had imagined. Two harnesses hanging from the ceiling with enough room for them to move about freely. She sees him almost immediately, or at least his back. He's in matching armor standing next to the right hemisphere harness. "I'm gonna take this side, if you don't mind. My left arm's kind of shot."

"I kind of figured you would say that." She spoke up as she took her side by the left hemisphere harness. Raleigh's head whips in her direction and she smirks at him as he shamelessly checks her out. His eyes reach hers and he grins like an idiot. "What are you thinking over there Leigh?"

"No point in telling you, in five minutes you're gonna be inside my head. You look damn good, honey." He saunters over to her in three strides and plants a heated kiss on her mouth. He pulls away and she can't help but smile at him.

"I like this look on you." She says biting her lip, just to tease him. "And before you ask Ezra is with Mako."

They don't say anything more, as they get harnessed in. The feeling of being locked in place scares her for a moment and she suddenly feels claustrophobic.

"Okay. We're not on a simulator, Ana. This is for real." He begins to explain as he flipped switches on his side. "I know you haven't done this before but once you're in my head I'll be able to guide you. Just whatever you do don't chase the RABIT. Random, brain impulse trigger memories. Just let them flow, don't latch on. Tune them out, stay in the drift, the drift is silence. Just close your eyes and find me in the drift, sweetheart." Raleigh tells her and she just nods her head in response, not knowing what else to say. She looks straight ahead, following his lead and closes her eyes. Suddenly her life flashes before her eyes; her childhood, the first wave of attacks, her family dying, living in Alaska, her time with Raleigh, everything went by in the blink of an eye and the next thing she knew she was being jerked back into reality. Out of her memories she can feel Raleigh in her head, hear his thoughts, feel all of his pain and suffering. They had always had a strong bond but this was something else. It was as if their souls had combined into one person. If she had a choice she would never leave this. Being this close to Raleigh, this intimate wasn't something she had ever experienced and she now understood him in ways that she never knew were possible.

She can feel Raleigh urging her to lift her arms in a fighting stance so she allows him to guide her through the motions. It was as if they were back in Alaska and he was teaching her proper technique. He would stand behind her and position her where she was supposed to be before let her go. This is very similar but instead of guiding her body physically he was doing it mentally.

"Right hemisphere calibrated. Left hemisphere calibrated. Ready to activate the Jaeger." She heard Gipsy's AI say. "Calibration completed."

They look at each other and in that moment a flashback hits Raleigh. Suddenly they were in the beat up white armor that she had pulled him out of the day she met him. It was the moment when he brother was ripped from the Jaeger. His brother Yancy was yelling at him when he suddenly disappeared. Seeing Yancy getting pulled from the Jaeger was like getting pulled from the drift and suddenly they were both out of alignment, and she could feel the memories she had suppressed for so long surfacing. She fought, hard to keep them down, but she had lost control and the drift was like vacuum, sucking up all the memories and throwing them all into one place.

"Gipsy! Gipsy! You are out of alignment. You are both out of alignment!" She vaguely hears Tendo yelling into their headsets, but her hearing is beginning to fade as she's pulled into her worst nightmare.

"I'm okay. Let me control it." Raleigh replies to Tendo.

"You're stabilizing, but Analia is way out." The engineer yells, panic in his voice.

"Ana? Baby, stay with me." She hears Raleigh plead. She wants to reach out and reply to him but she can't. It's like she's stuck.

"Ana, sweetheart, don't get stuck in a memory. Stay with me, stay in the now... Analia! Ana, listen to me. Ana?" Raleigh starts yelling but she can't hear any longer. Suddenly she standing at the opening of an alleyway she never wanted to return to. She gasps, seeing a familiar man, standing over a younger version of herself. The younger version of herself is sobbing and pleading to the man not to hurt her. She watches helpless as the man turns the girl around so her face is pressed into the alley wall, groping her every curve. Suddenly she is no longer just watching the experience, she finds herself sucked into her younger self, just as the man rips her pants off and begin touching her in places he shouldn't. She fights back, pushing off the wall, only to have her head slammed into the bricks, dazing her.

Back in reality her actions had caused the Plasma cannon to start up, causing the entire control center to buzz with life. Herc and Tendo watched in horror as, Raleigh continued to yell for his wife. They could see that she was fighting the memory but the hold it had on her was stronger. Inside Gipsy, Raleigh was panicking. He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to get out of the horrifying memory that he was witnessing. She had never spoken of this before and he honestly couldn't blame her. She had buried this memory deep within her subconscious to the point where she had nearly forgotten about it. He felt absolutely horrible that she had to relive this memory and he was doing his damndest to get her out of it.

As Analia's memory continues, the man's hands travel down to his pants and tears his belt from his jeans. Then he does the unspeakable thing and all Raleigh could do was stand there and watch. Raleigh could hear the men in the control room scrambling to get them offline but it seemed to be of no use, the drift was too strong. The memory begins to finish and he sees the man finish his sin, zip his jeans and replace the belt before spitting on her. Raleigh approaches the sobbing teenage version of Analia and he can see that there is blood coming from between her legs and where the man had slammed her forehead into the bricks her face was scraped and bruised. The memory ripples, showing her in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the tub crying into her hand as she holds a positive pregnancy test in the other hand.

"Weapons disengaged." Raleigh is relieved to feel that Gipsy was shutting down. The harnesses began to let the go and Raleigh took the opportunity to rip his helmet off and rush to Analia's side. Her knees gave out from under her as her eyes glazed over in shock.

"Analia!" He cries out, pulling her helmet off. He cradles her on the floor as she begins to look around. Tears are freely streaming down her cheeks. "It's alright, sweetheart. It's okay. Oh baby its ok. I'm so sorry." He whispers to her, holding her tight and kissing the top of her head as his own tears fall into her hair.

"It's not your fault." She murmurs under her breath and he barely hears it.

They were in big trouble and it was all her fault. Now she knew why Pentecost was so hesitant to let her into the cockpit. The pilots needed serious control over their thoughts and memories. She thought her control was strong enough but she had been wrong. She had been oh so wrong. The trial run had been disastrous. Currently they were outside of Pentecost's office waiting. She sat on the floor with her head in her hands as Raleigh paced back and forth in front of her. It had been thirty minutes since they had disconnected and Raleigh hadn't said anything to her. She wished she knew what was going through his head. But in that moment she didn't know and that scared her. The way he walked suggested he was angry but was he angry with her? Her emotions were running on high and she couldn't stop the tears from cascading down her cheeks.

"She can't control her dreams and he went out in phase three..." She heard Chuck yelling furiously.

"We all know what happened." His father snaps.

"We can't afford mistakes, the Kaiju is evolving. They keep kicking our asses! He's a has-been, she's a rookie. I don't want them protecting my bomb run!" She sniffs loudly and looked up at Raleigh who had stopped in front of her. He looked down at her and gave her a sympathetic look just as the door to Pentecost's office swung open.

"You need to watch your tone, Mr. Hansen." Pentecost yells as Chuck stormed out of the office.

"Hey, stay there. Give me a moment." His father yells at him, before closing the door giving Chuck the opportunity to turn on them.

"You two are a Goddamn disgrace! You're gonna get us all killed, and here's the thing, Raleigh. I want to come back from this mission, cause I quite like my life. So why don't you just do us all a favor and disappear? It's the only thing you're good at." Chuck spit in Raleigh's face, jabbing a finger into in chest.

"Hey! You think he doesn't want to come back from this mission? He has a family to come home too. Both of us do!" She shoots up from her spot on the floor and gets in his face all of a sudden not bothering to wipe the tears from her face. She goes to step even closer to him but Raleigh raises his hand to stop her from arguing further with Chuck.

"Yeah, that's right. You just hold back your little wife. One of you bitches needs a leash." Chuck spits and she snaps. Without thinking her fist flew forward over Raleigh's shoulder, hitting Chuck square in the face. Chuck stumbles back and stares at her in shock. She steps around Raleigh and takes her stance. Chuck swings at her and she ducks quickly throwing a couple jabs to his ribs before hitting him with a strong left hook. He looks at her like she's crazy.

"Apologize you coward." She hisses at him shaking her hand out.

"Screw you bitch." He snaps back, spitting blood on the floor. She goes to take another hit to him but Raleigh beats her to it. Her husband surges forward and knocks Chuck into the wall busting the piping in the wall.

"Apologize to her." Raleigh growls out, livid with the way he had been speaking about his wife. Chuck ignores his demand and attacks Raleigh but Raleigh easily knocks him down, twisting his arm just as, Herc and Pentecost exited the office.

"What's going on? On your feet, both of you!" Herc yells rushing out of the office. Raleigh is quick to get to his feet as Herc pulls his son up from the ground.

"Becket...s...into my office." Pentecost orders. Raleigh gently grabbed her hand and walked into the office as Herc continued to calm his son down. Pentecost joined them and closed the door. An awkward silence envelops them and she fidgeted in her seat. The tears had finally stop but she knew her face was red and her eyes were puffy.

"I went out of phase first, it was my mistake." Raleigh says breaking the silence first.

"No. It was my mistake. I should have never let you two in the same machine." Pentecost replies, calmly but she could see past his demeanor. He was beyond furious with them.

"So what, you're grounding us?" Raleigh asks.

"Not you." Pentecost says, looking over to her. She understands his meaning and stands from her seat. Tears looking in her eyes once again.

"I think I will take my leave. Thank you for giving me the chance sir." She says, as she cast her gaze downwards and leaves the room ignoring Raleigh's calls for her to come back. She didn't know what to do to rid herself of these memories so she did the only thing she could think to do. Find Mako. Find her son. Right now that was what she needed, her baby. She ran through the halls and quickly found Mako in her room, playing with Ezra.

"Mako?" She knocks on the open door, effectively catching the attention of the two people in the room.

"Mommy!" Ezra exclaims running towards her. She bent down and scoops him up into her arms, holding him close.

"How are you?" Mako asks her standing up.

"I'm alright. The first drift was really rough." She explains kissing her boys head.

"It always is. I heard Chuck and Herc arguing earlier down the hall." Mako tells her.

"Yea he isn't too happy with Raleigh and I at the moment. I may have punched him in the face." She smirks remembering the look of shock in his face.

"I'm sure he deserved it. I've been wanting to do for a while now." Mako laughs.

"Thank you so much for watching him." She says, giving Mako a grateful smile. "There is just one more thing I have to do before I take this little guy to dinner. I will catch you later." She walks towards the door.

"Of course. He is a sweetheart. I'd be happy to watch him again for you." Mako returns the smile as she steps out of the small room. With their farewells made she began her walk down the hall towards her destination praying that everything was ok.


	14. Chapter 14

January 3rd 2025

5:00pm

Later she found herself walking hand in hand with Ezra into the mess hall with a tray piled high with food. She found Herc in the crowd and made her way over to him, ignoring the dead silence the room had fallen into the moment she had stepped into the dining hall. She looked up and stopped walking. There in front of her was Raleigh, giving her a sympathetic look. He knew she hated the attention.

"Let's go somewhere else to eat." He says to her in a low voice. She just nods and follows him out of the hall. She gives Herc a sad smile as they leave and he just nods his head and she knows he understands they had things to talk about. She followed her husband through the Hong Kong base to a scaffolding across from Gipsy. They sat down far enough from the edge that Ezra wouldn't wander over and possibly fall off.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you. First drifts are rough. You weren't just tapped into my memories, you were tappin' into my brother's too. When Yancy was taken we were still connected. I felt his fear, his pain, his hopelessness and then...he was gone." He describes.

"I felt it, I know. You described it so often but I never imagined it like that." She tells him, not making eye contact.

"You know you live in someone else's head for so long the hardest part to deal with is the silence. To let someone else in, to really connect, you have to trust them. And today the drift was strong." She nods her head and he smiles at her but she can't seem to return it. She couldn't get the memory she had relived out of her mind.

"I should have told you about what happened. That was not how you should have found out." She apologizes feeling the guilt sinking into the pit of her stomach.

"Hey, don't worry about it ok?" He reaches over and cups her cheeks, bringing her to look into his eyes. "I understand that you buried that memory. I wouldn't have wanted to talk about it either."

"You won't think of me differently?" She asks hesitantly.

"No. Seeing that today helped me understand everything that happened between us. If anything it makes me love you more." He tells her. She looks up shocked.

"Really?"

"Definitely." He smiles at her and gives her a sweet kiss. Knowing that he still accepted her made her feel more loved than ever. They pull apart and look back to Gypsy.

"Is that her heart?" She asks him and he nods. "When's the last time you saw it?"

"Not in a long time." He tells her.

"We should probably go take Ezra to bed. He's probably really tired." She says, scratching the back of her head.

"Probably." He gets up and puts his hand out for her. "Shall we my lady?"

"We shall." She replies and not a moment later the alarms start going off. She sighs in defeat. "Or not."

"Mommy!" Ezra screams, startled by the sound. He comes running towards her and she scoops him up into her arms.

"It's okay baby." she soothes, rubbing his back. "Come on let's go." She says grabbing Raleighs hand and they start running towards the control center.

They stood in the control center, everyone gathered around the main control panel. All the rangers were there and Chuck was glaring at her as she shifted a crying Ezra to her other hip. Tends stood beside Pentecost briefing the workers.

"Breach was exposed at twenty three hundred hours. We have two signatures, both category 4, which means, Otachi and Leatherback. They'll reach Hong Kong within the hour." Tendo says loud enough for everyone to hear. She looks over at Raleigh, worried from the information. There had never been a double event again.

"Evacuate the city, shut down the bridges, I want every single civilian in a refuge right now. Crimson Typhoon, Cherno Alpha, I want you to front line the harbor. Stay on the miracle mile. Striker, I want you to stay back, look after the coastline. We cannot afford to lose you, so only engage as a final option." Pentecost orders and everyone gets into motion. Chuck walks by and shoulder bumps her. She stumbles but Raleigh catches her before she could fall.

"Wha goin mommy?" Ezra asks, lifting his head up from her shoulder.

"Shh baby. It's ok." She says quietly, placing a hand on the back of his head, easing it back down to her shoulder.

"You two, you stay put." Pentecost orders them. "Let's go!" She looks over at her husband and sees that his fists are clenched. He was mad at Pentecost. Now that he was back in the fight she could see that not being allowed to go out and fight was killing him. She reached down and grabbed his hand in hers, giving it a quick squeeze. They stayed in the control center listening to the coms and the fight.

The rangers confirmed their successful drop and they continued to listen as they waited for the Kaiju to show up. Not too soon the first Kaiju came out of the water and attacked Crimson Typhoon and she grabbed onto Raleigh's hand tighter. She didn't know why he ever thought she would be okay for combat. Listening to the other pilots was scaring her. Chermo and Crimson continued to fight off the Kaiju but they needed help.

"Loccent, Typhoon and Alpha are in trouble! We're moving in." Herc yells, she could see from the vitatals that they were about to move but Pentecost stopped them before they could get too far.

"You are to hold your ground, do not engage. We need you to carry that bomb, do you copy?" Pentecost orders, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.

"Loccent, we're moving in now!" Herc yells back. Pentecost backs away from the mic a little and hits the desk in frustration. He turns around and looks at Raleigh who was glaring at him. Their superior walked past them fixing them both with a stern look. Suddenly the monitors start blaring and she can see the Crimson Typhoon's power source had been destroyed. It was up to Cherno Alpha now. But they were having issues. The Kaiju sprayed Cherno with a sort of acid and she knew that the hull had been compromised and Striker runs to their aid. They don't get there in time, as the second Kaiju burst from the water and pulls the Cherno Alpha under the water, effectively drowning the pilots and crushing the core.

"We've just lost Cherno, sir." Tendo says, turning around to Stacker to confirm the loss. Raleigh readjusts his stance, clenching his jaw. He looks over at her and presses a kiss to her temple, more to soothe himself than her.

The next thing she knew the Loccent went black. She jumped, startled by the sudden darkness. Raleigh placed a hand on her back and rubbed his thumb back and forth to soothe her.

"What's going on? What happened?" Dr. Gottlieb asked, taking the words from her mouth.

"The blast, it doubled onto the Jaeger's electrical circuits." Tendo informed the crowd.

"They're adapting This isn't a defense mechanism, it's a weapon!" Gottlieb said in amazement.

"Get me Striker." Pentecost ordered.

"Nothing, sir. The Mark 5 digital's fried. It'll take me two hours to reroute the auxiliary. All the Jaegers, they're digital!" Te do said frantically.

"Not all of them are, Marshal. Gipsy's analog is nuclear." Raleigh stepped forward and told the Marshall. The man in charge looked at Raleigh and then at her and then back and Raleigh before he sighed in obvious defeat. They were being deployed.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: HI GUYS! Whats up? I am so sorry it has been so long. So much has happened since my last post. Part of my lack of writing is due to a break up and the other part has to do with the fact that I'm graduating high school and things have been crazy. I have two weeks left and then I'm free. I'm so excited! I'm really glad to see people are still reading it despite the fact that I haven't updated in two months. Anyway...without further babbling enjoy this chapter and look for the next one, hopefully soon.**

 **Chapter 15 - This Is For Real**

"Do you think Ezra will be okay?" She asks, as they get strapped in.

"I'm sure he'll be just fine sweetheart. Try to focus on the task." He tells her and she nods her head. "This is for real, baby. Focus."

"Gipsy ready for the big drop!" Raleigh told Tendo and the cockpit was suddenly released. She squealed slightly at the feeling in her stomach and Raleigh just laughed at her. The landing was sudden and it jarred her body.

"Initiating drift." Tendo said and she closed her eyes to breathe. The next thing she knew she could feel her husband in her head. Their memories began to mix and meld together. She could hear his thoughts feel everything in his body and she prayed that what she was hiding would stay hidden.

"Right hemisphere calibrating. " Raleigh said, raising his arms up into a fighting stance.

"Left hemisphere calibrating." She said following his movements.

"Drift holding steady and very strong. Much stronger than the first time." Tendo told them. She looked over at her husband and smiled. This was for real this time and there was no going back. Do or die. Gipsy was moved to the loading bay and she could hear people outside the cockpit yelling orders as they hooked up the cables to carry Gipsy out of the Shatterdome. It didn't take long and soon they were hanging from 18 different military grade choppers. They could see Striker being circled by the Kaiju and her heart rate picked up. The beast was at least two times their size and moved around much like a gorilla would. The lights from the Shatterdome caught the attention of the Kaiju and it turned towards them as they were dropped from the cables. They landed in the water and took a fighting stance.

"Alright sweetheart, deep breath calm your mind. This is for real. No room for mistakes. Think of this as another spar only were on the same team." He told her and she nodded. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily, focusing on in the task at hand. She opened her eyes and gave Raleigh a nod.

The Kaiju charged forward like a football player ready to tackle his opponent. At the last second they spun out of the way and grabbed the back of the Kaiju. She focused in on the odd, ball shaped bump on its back. Raleigh caught on and with a hard tug they ripped it from the beast's back. It faced them and roared, clearly pissed off before it wrapped its arms around them. And threw Gipsy towards land like a rag doll.

She couldn't help the startled shriek that came out of her mouth as they flew through the air. Gipsy landed on its left shoulder, her shoulder and she cried out from the pain that went up her arm. But she stayed focused as they tucked into the roll and came up into a crouch as they skidded to a stop.

"You alright?" He asked her as she shocked her head to clear the fuzziness.

"Yea. Hella of a first drive." She chuckled, seeing the Kaiju climbing out of the water and onto the cargo bay deck. Despite the situation she was actually enjoying herself. The connection between her and Raleigh and the machine was unreal and knowing she was saving the Hong Kong port motivated her.

"Come on! Let's do this together!" Raleigh yelled. They rushed towards the Kaiju and at the last minute jumped towards their enemy with a metallic fist raised. The blow went to the head, knocking it to the ground. With the Kaiju stunned they grabbed one of the horns and began punch in the beast in the face repeatedly.

"Elbow rocket!" Raleigh yelled.

"Elbow rocket engaged." Gipsy's AI informed them.

"Now!" Raleigh yelled. Their arm locked into place and with the help of the elbow rocket they punched the Kaiju square in the face, knocking it backwards. As it recovered it came back at them with a crane, bashing Gipsy's left shoulder. Again, pain shot through her arm but she choked down the pain and simply pushed forward. She couldn't let Raleigh down. The kaiju then used the crane to hit them again, the left side taking the brunt of the force. Raleigh cried out and they fell back. Quick on their feet despite the massive weight they were controlling they leaned down and grabbed a handful of cargo containers in each hand. With makeshift weapons in each hand they whipped around and began punching the creature left and right. The Kaiju fell back, and they took the advantage, grabbing the beast by the underarms and throwing it.

"Hang on, Analia!" Raleigh yelled, as the Kaiju regained it bearing. She knew they had thoroughly pissed it off when it slammed both fists into the pavement with a loud roar. Yet she couldn't help the laugh that came from her throat. It reminded her of Ezra when he was throwing a tantrum and she wouldn't give in to his manipulation. Raleigh caught her thoughts and chucked before telling her to focus. It charged at them, hands grabbing onto Gipsy's shoulders as it pushed back in an attempt to get them back in the water.

"Plasma cannon, now!" Raleigh yelled at the AI.

"Plasma cannon engaged." The AI responded. Without hesitation Raleigh began firing, one shot right after the other, yelling to empty the clip. She counted each blast and smirked when he stopped after the tenth shot. The Kaiju's arm fell to the ground and he fired one last shot into the body before pushing it backwards. They disengaged the canon and began walking away from the scene.

"Wait." He stopped and turned back around to face the fallen beast. "I think this guy's dead, but let's check for a pulse."

"Good idea." She replied, allowing a small amount of sarcasm to leak through her voice even though she knew it was a good idea. They still had one more to fight and having this one coming back to bite them in the ass wasn't ideal. Five shots later the kaiju's chest cavity was completely open, exposing it's ribs. She grimaced at the sight.

"No pulse." He told her. "Come one we still have one more of these fuckers to kill." Raleigh said and she nodded in agreement. On the way into the city she convinced Raleigh to grab a cargo ship to use as a weapon. She could he felt ridiculous dragging it through the streets but when they for their target it had the desired effect. It heard them coming and pulled its head from a bunker to face them.

This bitch was huge, according to Raleigh's thoughts as they got a good look at their opponent. Otachi, as named by Tendo when they came through the breach, walked on all fours. She had two short legs in the back and two long arms in the front that ended with four digits. From where about the elbow would be on a human was webbing that connected to the beast's side, indicating that it could probably fly. To complete the grotesque body, a long tail extended from the spine that was covered with bony plates. At the end, a three prehensile pincer could be used as an extra weapon.

As if the body wasn't ugly enough the face was just that extra cherry on top to complete the terrifying masterpiece. From the cockpit, Ana could see that the beast's long neck was plated and ridged, like armor. The head seemed slightly out of proportion with a large jaw and a crest between her forehead and snout, with two extra, golden eyes on each front of the crest. The crest was curved in the front, with a long, sturdy spike protruding from the back for protection of the eyes.

"You are one fugly ass bitch." She said and she felt Raleigh's proud smirk. She followed His thoughts, and swing the boat up to hold it like a baseball bat. In sync, they swung the boat down to hit the Kaiju across the face. They continued to smash the boat into the Kaiju until the tail came around and threw it several blocks away, out of reach. Having been too focused on watching the boat fly down the street the tail caught them by surprise and Gipsy was knocked on her backside, causing car alarms to go off to their left. Analia grunted in annoyance and as they got up she crushed the car with her fist, effectively hushing the alarm. Instead of attacking, the Kaiju turned and fled into the city,disappearing before they could catch up.

"I can't pinpoint it, it's moving quick. Keep your eyes open." Raleigh instructed her as they walked through the streets in search of the beast. "Chopper, do you have a visual?" No response came through the com link, sending a red flag up in her mind. Why hasn't it responded? Raleigh had the same thought as they paused next a building with mirror like windows.

Without warning, Otachi came bursting through the building on their right. Gipsy stumbled back, demolishing the building that had been on their left on impact. Quick to retaliate, they threw punches left and right hitting the kaiju. The beast ducked their right hook went through a building, taking a few levels out and she prayed that no had been inside. The four pronged claw grabbed Gipsy's left shoulder and slammed them, face first into another building. The impact was jarring and she knew she would be sore when this was over. The kaiju spun the jaeger around into yet another building, claws on Gipsy's chest and began pushing them through the building. They came through the other side and did a backwards somersault to get back to their feet just in time to dodge a stream of blue liquid. It hit the building behind them and she grimaced as the building melted. That could have been them. Without thinking Raleigh reached down Otachi's throat as it roared. The action almost made her sick to her stomach but she held it together and trusted every action her husband made. The tail cam around and wrapped around her left arm and she grabbed it to keep it from doing any damage to Gipsy's face.

"I'll hold it! Use the coolant on the left side!" Raleigh ordered her and she exactly as she was told. She released the coolant pipes on the left side. The chemicals hit the tail and within ten second the tail was frozen over and with ease, snapped off at the base of the creature's spine. Control of the left arm went back to her and she flexed a metallic fist, making sure it wasn't too damaged.

Gipsy still had a hand down Otachi's throat and Ana knew exactly what to do. This time she guided Raleigh as she grabbed onto one of the horns and pushed back as Raleigh pulled. His hand came free, bringing the beast's tongue with it. She couldn't help but make a fake retching sound and Raleigh laughed at her. This action only pissed the kaiju off and it roared at them, some of the blue liquid to sputter out. Without warning Otachi jumped up and grabbed Gipsy around the waist with its rear claws, digging her talons into Gipsy's spine. Both pilots cried out from the shocks that went through the suits, leaving them momentarily stunned. When the Becketts could focus again, they could feel the weightlessness as they were carried through the air. As Otachi flew higher it slammed them into the roofs of the buildings, sending more electrical shorts through the suits, but not as strong. They were trying to find a way out of the creatures claws but weren't coming up with any ideas fast as they drew closer and closer to space. From this height they could see the rounded edge of the earth and the city lights from below.

"Atmosphere and oxygen levels dropping." The AI announced and she forced herself to take a deep breath and focus.

"Temperature's dropping! We're losing oxygen! Both plasma cannons are shot! We're out of options, Analia!"

"No, we're not." She said, finding another option as she flipped through the weapons options. She had found a sword and prayed to God it would be enough as she hit the deploy button.

"Sword deployment." Gipsy told her and she smirked. The blade shot out from her left wrist in a loose chain link form. Instinct took over and she cocked her arm back as if pumping the slide on a shotgun. Instantly, the links of the sword locked together forming a lethal double edged blade.

"Take this bitch." Analia cried as she guided Gypsy's arm up to slice the right wing of the Kaiju. With a mighty roar the kaiju went limp and let go of them. Together, both kaiju and jaeger began the descent back to earth.

"Altitude actuation off balance. Fifty thousand feet to ground contact." Gipsy's AI informed them as they flipped over so they were looking down as they fell. She sensation was making her stomach flip and it took everything in her not to puke in the helmet. She had _never_ done well with drops. Whether it was a roller coaster, an elevator and or even landing in any aircraft. "Altitude loss critical. Forty thousand feet."

"Hang in there baby!" Raleigh yelled over at her, feeling her nausea. Suddenly the com links came alive and Stackers voice came through the speakers.

"Gipsy, listen to me. Loosen all the shuttle doors, use the gyroscope to balance the fall out! It's your only chance!" He ordered them and they didn't think twice as the heat from the fall began to come through the hull.

"Twenty thousand feet." Gipsy told them again.

"Fuel purge, now!" Raleigh yelled, pushing a button on the console. Instantly, the center piece on Gipsy's chest let out a blast that slowed their descent. But it wasn't enough. They were still falling.

"We're coming in too fast! We're coming in too fast! Brace for it, Analia!" Raleigh screamed. The impact sent her head flying back and she found it hard to keep the jaeger in a crouched position. "Analia, talk to me." She couldn't respond. There was no air in her lungs and she could barely think. "Analia, you ok?"

"Yeah. You?" She asked, once she had managed to catch her breath. He looked at her and nodded. A smile spread across his face and she couldn't help but smile in return. She couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her throat as she looked at her husband. They had successfully killed off two kaiju on their own, despite the fact that it was her first time in combat. She felt good.

 **Vote and comment! Throw ideas out there if you want something to happen or if you think something is going to happen! Ideas and comments are most encouraging!**


	16. Chapter 16

_**AN: I know this is a short filler but it works for now because we are about to get to the final bad ass battle scene. Hopefully my writing can justify and capture the scene in writing.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

 **Chapter 16 - Canceling the Apocalypse**

They returned to the Shatterdome as soon as they could. They were released from the harnesses and she stumbled to her feet. The sensation of having her limbs in full control was odd. There was something missing now. That connection to Raleigh, she wished it could be like that all the time. She knew it wasn't the last time she would pilot with him and she looked forward to their next fight

They didn't bother changing and went in search for Stacker for their next instructions. The minute they stepped out of the locker room the crew of the Shatterdome erupted into loud cheers. Raleigh smirked at her and put an arm around her shoulders. They walked until the crowd became too much and a circle formed around them. Congratulations were being thrown out all around them. She looked up at Raleigh and smiled. She now understood everything he had told her and who he was as a person. She had fallen even more in love with the man beside her than she ever thought possible. Seeing the look in her eyes, Raleigh took a slight step back so he could gently hold her face in his armored hands and kiss her. The crowd of people went wild from the random gesture of affection and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Raleigh!" She heard Herc, yell and she pulled away from her husband to search for the older Aussie. The crowd hushed and separated so the pilot could get through. He was back in civilian clothes and his arm was in a sling. "My kid would never admit it, but he's grateful. We both are." Herc said, putting his hand out. Raleigh shakes his hand, and turns slightly to look at Chuck. The younger Aussie gave him an appreciative nod that Raleigh returned.

"Becketts!" Stackers voice carried over the crowd as he approached and from his tone she thought they were in trouble. "In all of my years of fighting, I've never seen anything like that. Well done. I'm proud of you. Proud of us all. But, as harsh as it sounds, there is no time to celebrate. We lost two crews. No time to grieve." She looked at her husband and he gave a sad smile knowing that the man was right. "Reset that clock." No one moved for a moment and she noticed that a little bit of blood was coming from his nose. Catching his eye, she wiped under her nose to indicate to Pentecost, and he copied her movements. He quickly put a handkerchief to his nose and started walking off. "Reset that clock." He ordered. They stayed where they were for a few moments to let the crowd thin out.

"I'm proud of you." Raleigh said to her as they stood there. "You did good, real good."

"I had a good teacher." She replied, leaning up to peck him on he lips. "I'm going to go find our son and see how he is doing. I suspect there will be another attack soon."

"Alright, I'll see you soon." He told her and started to walk off. She too went her own way but stopped when he called out to her. "Analia!" She turned around and looked at him with a questioning look. "I love you." She smiled, he didn't say it often enough.

"I love you too." She replied.

"I hope he wasn't too fussy for you." She said as she entered the room to find Ezra asleep on the bed. Mako had moved to their room so that when they got back they wouldn't have to worry about waking him to move him.

"Not really. He asked a lot of questions. I'm not sure how much of the situation he is understanding." Mako told her. She nodded her head in agreement as she stood next to the bed. She didn't dare sit down with the heavy armor on. It would most definitely wake him. "After the test run you went on an errand...do you mind asking me what it was?" Mako tentatively asked.

"Stacker knows doesn't he?" She asked, looking over at the adopted daughter of her superior. The girl nodded and she sighed. "Nothing gets past that old man does it?"

"He's desperate so he won't say anything about it..." Mako said, but trailed off as if thinking twice about what she was about to say.

"But you want to..." She guessed and sighed. "I know it's a risk but I'm not about to put piloting on hold while the world is ending." She knew Mako understood what she meant and wouldn't argue. "Do you know what is wrong with Stacker? I've noticed he gets blood noses frequently and then takes a pill." She asked, desperate to change to topic.

"He was one of the Mark 1 pilots and the engineers back then didn't really think about radiation poisoning from the cores. If he ever steps into a jaeger again he could die." Mako explained. "The pills he takes keep the side effects away but he's running out of time and medicine, the government stopped sending the medication when they stopped funding the jaeger program."

"I'm so sorry." She said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Before Mako could reply the com system went off calling her to the hangar bay. The loud noise woke Ezra and she sighed, picking the boy up in her arms. His head fell to her shoulder as he mumbled in his sleep. She smiled and kissed his forehead as they left the room. Mako followed her to the hangar, where they ran into Raleigh.

"Whats going on?" She asked him, shiting Ezra to her other hip.

"Wo category 4 Kaiju ar just sitting on the breach not doing anything." He told her, reaching out to run a gloved hand through their sons hair.

"Oi, Tendo. Tendo!" They heard Chuck yell. He was still in civilian clothes and leading Max on a leash.

"You're not suited up." Tendo observed.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that, Elvis. I need to know what's going on." Chuck demanded.

"I said, suit up. So suit up." Tendo ordered and started walking off, clearly having better things to do than manage the younger Hansen.

"Tendo, I can't pilot Striker on my own now, can I? Dad's hurt, so who's gonna be my co-pilot?" Chuck argued, following Tendo to where the four of us were standing. Tendo didn't get to reply as the hangar door opened, revealing Pentecost. He was in a pilot suit.

"Don't remember it being so tight." Stacker complained as he joined the small group, Herc behind him. She chuckled a little. Mako gave him a look and they took a moment to talk, away from the group. She looked at Raleigh, ready to explain but the look in his eyes told her that he already knew. They shared a sad look and Raleigh leaned down to place a kiss on Ezra's head. "Everyone! Listen up!" Stacker yelled out. Mako turned around and she could see the tears in her eyes. She would have comforted the young girl but now wasn't the time for it. The entire crew on the deck gathered around and listened intently to what he had to say. "Today...today...at the edge of our hope, at the end of our time, we have chosen not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other. Today there's not a man nor woman in here that shall stand alone. Not today. Today we face the monsters that are at our door and bring the fight to them! Today we are canceling the apocalypse!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 - The Beginning of the End**

She found herself walking into the cockpit of Gipsy Danger for the second time that day. This time was different though. She could feel the tension and the fear that they wouldn't return to their son. She was scared. The world was at stake but all she could think about was getting back to Ezra. She knew the possibility was slim she she had asked Herc to watch over Ezra if they didn't come home.  
"You know, Analia, all these years I've spent with you has made me see that there's more to life than just fighting in a jaeger. You've given me something I never thought I would have after the first Kaiju came through the breach. You've given me a family. And now all I want is future with you and our son." Raleigh told her as he started flipping switches and starting Gipsy up. They were already harnessed in and she had to push down the urge to walk over and kiss her husband.  
"You've given me the same thing Raleigh, and so much more. We have to come back from this. It's not an option. We have a growing family to take care of." She told him. He looked at her for a minute in confusion and she waited patiently. She saw the recognition in his eyes. He understood what she had just told him.  
"You're...you're pregnant?" he asked, just for confirmation.  
"Yea." She said, her eyes tearing up.  
"You shouldn't be here then." He said, but he didn't move to get out of the harness.  
"I didn't know until after our first drift. I'm not that far along and the doctor assured me that I'll be fine." She told him. He nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before but now that we may not come back I wanted to give you something to fight for."  
"You've never have very good timing." He told her and she laughed.  
"No. No I haven't." She chuckled, shaking her head.  
"I love you." He said, reaching out to take her hand. They could barely touch his fingers as she reached out to meet his touch.  
"I love you too." She said, just before they were dropped and connected to the rest of Gipsy. As soon as possible they were hooked up to the cables and transported to the breach. Her stomach lurched as Gipsy was dropped into the ocean. They sank to the bottom and began walking towards the target, wary of the "guard dogs" that were lurking in the water.  
"Loccent, all ports sealed, ready to submerge." Stacker announced over the open com.  
"All ports sealed,, ready to submerge." Raleigh said, flipping more switches on the console in front of them.  
"When this is all over you're going to have to show me what all those switches do." She retorted and Raleigh looked over at her with an amused smile on his face.  
"Sure thing sweetheart." He replied, as they continued to move toward the breach. Movements took twice the amount of effort as they walked through the water.  
"Two active solid circle formation with one quadrant, code name Scunner, Raiju. Both category 4." Herc said over the com.  
"Roger that." Stacker affirmed, but she could barely focus on Stackers words. They could barely see and she was focused on trying to spot the kaiju around them.  
"Visibility zero. Switching to instruments now." Raleigh said. The screen changed and suddenly she could see a little better. They were in sync. She closed her eyes and focused in on the feeling of being connected to Raleigh and the jaeger. Raleigh was leading their movements and she trusted everything he did. Suddenly something caught her eye on Raleigh's side and she was on edge.  
"Did you see that?" She asked him and he shook his head. He was about to reply when Herc spoke over the com again.  
"Gipsy, there's a movement on your right. Three o'clock. Three o'clock!" The panic in his voice didn't phase her and she prepared for the attack.  
"One hundred feet radius clear." Gipsy told them and she looked at the computer, confused.  
"Right side's clear, I got nothin!" Raleigh told Loccent.  
"Left now! It's moving fast! Fastest Kaiju on record!" Tendo yelled at them, just as something swam past her side. This creature was making her nervous. The movements were too fast for her to track.  
"I don't see anything! It's moving too fast!" Raleigh yelled back.  
"Eyes on the prize, Gipsy! Six hundred meters from the drop." Chuck told them.  
"Something isn't right." She told Raleigh. "They want us closer to the breach."  
"Four hundred meters and closing!" Chuck informed them as they jumped down into the first level of the fissure on the ocean floor.  
"Boggies are stopping." Tendo said, a hint of confusion in his voice. They were at the edge of the breach, ready to jump into the depths. She stopped Gipsy where they were, behind Striker. Something was off and she didn't want to get any closer to the edge. Raleigh looked over at her in confusion, but she kept her eyes trained on their surroundings. She couldn't risk not seeing an attack.  
"Striker, Kaijus have stopped. One o'clock." Herc told them. Striker stopped in front of them as well and waited. She could imagine that they were arguing inside the hull of Striker. "Striker, the Kaiju aren't falling. Take the leap, now!" Herc ordered, but in the background they could here the two doctors yelling for them not to do it.  
"Move, you fascist!" She heard Dr. Geiszler mumble."Blowing up the breach, it's not gonna work!" The doctor told them through the mic.  
"What do you mean? What's not gonna work?" Stacker asked urgently. They couldn't stand around forever getting new information.  
"Sir, just because the breach's open, does not mean you'll be able to get a bomb through." Newton told them and she looked over at Raleigh concerned.  
"The breach genetically reads the Kaiju like a bar code at the supermarket and then lets them pass." Gottlieb said.  
"Okay, so you're gonna have to fool the breach into thinking that you have the same code!" Newton finished.  
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Raleigh demanded.  
"By making it think you are a Kaiju." Newton replied, not at all phased by her husband's tone.  
"You have to hold onto the Kaiju, ride it into the breach, the throat will then read the Kaiju's genetic code and let you pass." Gottlieb interrupted.  
"If you don't do it, the bomb will deflect off the breach, like it always has, and the mission will fail!" Newton finished and she wondered how they had figured all this out. Orders were being thrown around and she wasn't really paying attention. Something was going on with the breach, the light that was coming from it was suddenly shining brighter than before. She knew this was bad.  
"Sir,there's a third signature emerging from the breach." Tendo yelled and she froze. A third kaiju? They hadn't even started fighting the other two yet. Not they had three to worry about.  
"How big is it? What category?" Stacker asked, starting to sound unsure about what they were about to do.  
"Striker, it's category 5. The first ever." Herc replied. Her blood ran cold at the thought. How were they going to do this? Especially with her. She was a rookie and they expected her to be able to fight off a Category 5 with Raleigh. Their eyes were on the breach as the third one emerged and she held her breath.  
This kaiju, whose name flashed across their screen, Slattern was massive and had thick, leathery skin. She could see three triple-crowned tails coming from its backside and something told her they were capable of doing some serious damage. She could see a spike-like protrusion on its chest that she assumed was another weapon. Slattern's face was rather unique compared to the other two kaiju she had seen up close. It's face was symmetrical, similar to that of a hammerhead shark with a slanted chin and two striking blue eyes on each side.  
"Striker, we see him. We're right behind you, about a hundred meters. We're gonna come around you three o'clock and try to flank him, standard two team formation. Just keep him busy..." Raleigh said but he didn't get to finish as another one attacked them from the left. This one had two horns like a rhinoceros and they quickly had to grab on to them. With a metallic hand on each horn the couple pushed down fighting the creatures strength to keep its head down. Raleigh deployed the sword, ready to end the beast but he was too slow as the third Kaiju came from behind them and ripped Gispy's arm from the socket. Raleigh screamed in pain and her instincts took over. She deployed the sword on her side and stabbed it through the Kaiju's neck.  
"Let's get this son of a bitch!" Raleigh yelled and together they dragged the kaiju over a hydrothermal vent. The kaiju wasn't over it for very long before it retaliated and pulled away from them.  
"Gipsy, the kaiju twelve o'clock. Full speed! Get out of the way!" They heard Chuck yell and they looked in that direction. Sure enough the kaiju that had ripped the right arm off. They got into a fighting stance and held the sword up at the last second as the kaiju swam right into it. The sword sliced right down the middle but about halfway down they were met with resistance and their arm came back, bending at the elbow and locking in place. She leaned forward so they wouldn't fall back and Raleigh followed her lead, grunting with the exertion. They got a chance to take a deep breath and looked for Striker. They were battling Slattern and they were winning. Slattern pulled back and gave a loud cry. The noise caught the attention of the Kaiju that was near them and it began to swim towards Striker.  
"Both Kaiju's are converging on Striker, fast!" Tendo announced over the open com.  
"Just hang on, Striker. We're coming to you." Raleigh called out and they began limping towards their comrades using their sword as a cane to help support the damaged right leg.  
"No, Gipsy do not come to our aide! Do you copy?" Stacker ordered and they hesitated looking at each other but Raleigh kept pushing on.  
"Hang on!" Raleigh yelled determined to help.  
"Stand as far back as you can!" Stacker ordered once again, desperation in his voice.  
"We can still reach you. We're coming for you!" Raleigh argued but she forced him to stop moving. He looked over at her incredulously.  
"Raleigh listen to him." She urged quietly and he looked at her knowing she was right.  
"No, Raleigh. Listen to me! You know exactly what you have to d! Gipsy is nuclear, take her to the breach!" Stacker ordered and her heart sank. That meant suicide.  
"I hear you, sir. Heading for the breach, now." Raleigh replied. She had tears in her eyes when he looked at her and he understood her tears. She was pregnant and they were about to sacrifice themselves, the family to save the world. All the while leaving Ezra to grow up without parents. "We're a walking nuclear reactor. We can destroy the breach."  
She nodded before reaching out to open the com link again.  
"Herc, you look after Ezra. Promise me that he'll be looked after. Tell him his parents died heroes." She spoke and had to hold back the sob that bubbled up in her throat.  
"Ana..." She knew he wanted to protest, to tell her that she would make it out alive and that everything was going to be okay. But he couldn't. "I promise." He finally told her, his voice quiet.  
They knew what Striker's pilots were planning and they rammed the sword into the ocean floor and waited. Suddenly, the payload on Strikers back detonated. A bright orange dome expanded around Striker and Gipsy ducked to avoid the impact of the blast as best they could. When the blast had passed them they looked up to find they weren't in water any longer and there were fish flopping around on the ocean floor. They barely had a moment to bend back down as the water hit their back. If it weren't for the sword they were using to keep them grounded they would have gone tumbling through the water.  
"Systems are critical. Fuel's leaking. Our right leg's crippled! Let's finish this!" Raleigh yelled. They moved towards the breach, grabbing onto the carcass of one of the kaiju and began dragging it towards their target. "Loccent, we have the Kaiju carcass. We're heading for the breach. You guys, I hope you're right. Cause one way or another, we're getting this thing done." Suddenly, Slattern appeared in front of them and Raleigh dropped the carcass they were dragging. She knew exactly what he wanted to do and she prepared herself for their next move.  
"On my count, release the jets. Three, two, one... Now!" They both pushed buttons on the console and they were launched forward. They tackled the creature and at the last second, deployed her sword, stabbing the kaiju straight through the torso. They were falling towards the breach and Slattern was throwing a fit. The beast was using all it could to get Gipsy to let it go. A tail swung up and stabbed them in the back and she cried out from the shocks that went through her suit. It was steadily getting harder to breathe and she could only guess that the kaiju had punctured her oxygen tank.  
"Hold on, Analia! I'm gonna burn this son of a bitch!" Raleigh yelled, but she barely heard it. She was losing consciousness from the lack of oxygen. The last thing she remembered was a bright white light and Raleigh yelling for her to hold on before the darkness took her.

When she woke she could see the sky and she sat up, taking in a deep breath of air. She had to keep herself from hyperventilating as she looked around at her surroundings. She was in the middle of the ocean in an escape pod. She was the only one though. She couldn't see Raleigh's pod anywhere and she began to panic. Suddenly Raleigh escape pod surfaced and she jumped into the water and swam towards it. Climbing on top of it she opened the pod to find Raleigh unconscious. She quickly pulled his helmet off, tossing it in the ocean and searched for his pulse but couldn't find anything.  
"I can't find his pulse. I don't think he's breathing." She murmured, her panic continued to rise as she pulled him up into a sitting position. She wrapped her arms around him and cradled him in her arms. "Raleigh? Raleigh?"  
"Analia, listen to me. I think it could be the sensors not working. We can't be sure." She heard Tendo tell her but she ignored him.  
"No. No. Don't you dare leave me!" She cried out, tears streaming down her face. "You're all I have left, asshole!" She sobbed, holding him tight. She couldn't lose him, not when they had another child on the way. They had made it out alive and now she needed him. His family needed him.  
"Ana..." She heard quietly and at first she thought it was are do talking so she ignored it. "Sweetheart, I can't breath. You're squeezing me too tight." She gasped and let go of the man in her arms. He leaned back and took a deep breath. "I couldn't breath." He told her and she laughed despite her tears. She grabbed his face in her hands and put her forehead to his.  
"I thought I'd lost you." She whispered.  
"You can't get rid of me that easy." He retorted and she leaned forward and kissed him before he pulled her into his embrace. They stayed this way until the choppers came to get them.

 **Hi guys! This is the final movie verse chapter. I'm going to see about writing one or two more chapters that shows the aftermath of the battle. I need suggestions. What do you as my readers want to see after this chapter! Let me know in the comments or PM me. I hope you've liked it so far and when the second movie comes out next year (crossing my fingers) I WILL be writing a sequel. I'm super excited for it! Let me know what you want to see!**


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